A life learned at Aincrad
by hflores74
Summary: Kirito begins to play a game, but he ends up learning about life and finding that love finds a way to make a nightmare seem not so bad.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

As he remembered the world of Aincrad was the place he felt truly at home. During the brief time of the Beta period he was truly alive. The 100 players may not have seen him but every one of them knew of Kirito. During the Beta at the last month they held a tournament and in that tournament 90 players fought duels. Of all the people in it Kirito was the only one to come to the end of it without a single loss. His perfect record declared him the Champion.  
>The prize for the Champion was an extra month were he could experience the feeling and life as one of the monsters in the game. What people did not know is that the monsters had diferent societies between each monster species, but for the most part were cordial and sociable to each other. Some saw the players as invaders to their peaceful world, other saw them as a challenge.<br>Kirito lived as and worked as a monster for an entire month. He spent as a young child, all the way to adulthood. His monster parents could not be more proud of their son. As it turns out the monsters also held a tournament and Kirito once again was the Champion. But as the day of the first day of Sword Art Online he was happy to return in his home of Aincrad. But part of him wonders of his monster parents. Did they forget all about him? Will they remember him? or Will they try to kill me just as any other player.  
>As he wondered and walked towards the fields he heard a voice, "Hey, wait a second. You are a Beta. Look I know that you don't know me but could you show me the ropes?" A guy just out of nowhere asked him to teach him how to play? Kirito could not believe it. But he did remember what his monster mom would say. 'Help those in need' "Oh, alright the name is Kirito, and you are?"<br>"Thanks, my name is Klein." As the shock hands he explained the party formation process. He took a quick look at him and saw that he was not wearing any decent gear. "Hey, Klein have you thought at all how you want to fight? what role you want in a team?" Klein was surprised by the question ," Sure, I did. I want to become a super tough Tank Samurai!" Kirito could hardly believe what he heard and could almost imagine his monster dad laughing at such a remark.  
>This looked like it would be a very long day. He took Klein to buy some gear, but he has no money. Figures, this was the first day. He still had some gear that could be used by a beginner, but had to level up to at least 5. He needed to get at least some gear, so he bough for him some new player gear and gave it to Klein. "Look if you work hard and make it to level 5 in say 2 hours i will give you a prize."<br>"What is the prize?" Klein asked as if he would want to know if it was worth it. "Suprise. Its good but you have to listen to what I say." He formed a salute, "Yes, Sir!" They walked to the field the saw a Boar. Kirito watched as a lowly Boar was playing with Klein not even taking him seriously. "Damn it! Why the hell is this pig giving me a hard time?" Kirito flinched as he heard. Big mistake, amoung monsters there were clear things you do not do. And calling a boar who clearly was being friendly a pig was one of them. He charged right at him and hit him in the family jewels and left.  
>"Look you just have to start the skill with the movement system. It will help you hit the target." Klein was still rolling in the grass. "Quit doing that it doesn't actually hurt." Klein looked at him and he realized that it was true. "Look it might be easy for you to understand, but i am new. I just don't get it!" He picked up a stone and went through the motions for the first skill. "Look you start the motion of the skill, and then let it build up, and when you feel it like the energy is at its highest let it explode." As he activated the skill the stone went flying and hit a boar on the rear. He charged at Kirito but kept him busy as Klein went through the motions and did feel it and used his first skill and killed the Boar in a single hit, "Alright. I should be a lot higher in level!" Kirito laughed, "What do you think you killed?" Klein looked confused and answered, "A mid boss at least!" He fell down on the grass laughing; you could almost tell that he was breathing pretty hard. "Hey, what so funny?" Klein asked almost looked hurt. "Boars are the equal to slimes in other RPG games. They are the lowest of the low." Klein looked disappointed, "Want to do some more?" Klein looked happy, "Sure thing!"<br>As the hunt the last monster needed for level 5 for Klein he wondered if the lessons were the surprise. Kirito transferred his level 5 gear to Klein and imediatly put it on. He was one happy guy. "See told you that it would be worth it!" Klein, "Hey, man i know that you done a lot for me, want to meet a couple of my friends. I know that they would like to have you in their party." Kirito did not answer. It would not do for Klein to realize that he was not going all out, and that he had to still use a single skill. As party leader he could control what the other player saw. Klein could not know that he was much greater level than him, or what were his skills.  
>"I know that Betas tend be solitary, but i have to log out in a minute for dinner. Send me a message if you change your mind" Klein said, as he pulled the main menu and was shocked!There was no log out button. He left he party, still no log out. "Hey, man what is the deal. Where is the log out?" Kirito did the same thing "Must be a bug. But they will find it soon. To have a bug this big on the first day is bad." Klein looked at him. "I hope so I have a pizza coming to my house. But isn't there a voice command or a move that you can do?"<br>Kirito tried to remember and answered, "Other than the log out you can't even take off the nervegear, and the nerve gear will not run out of power. 30% of the weight of it is the battery." Klein looked less happy by the minute, he called the GM but no reply. There must over a thousand people calling for him. Just ask Klein and Kirito where going to try to figure out what was wrong a bell was heard cross the land.  
>A brilliant blue light glowed over them and they appeared at the plaza. "What! a forced transport to the Start City?" Klein did not answer he was looking at the sky . "Look something is happening." Klein shouted. "Must be a message explaining what is happening." Kirito replied. A large part of it turned red and began to drip a thick and almost blood looking substance. After a little while the substance took the shape of a man they would recognize as the GM but something was wrong. "The GM has no face, if the player was female, the GM was a glass wearing woman, if the player was male, the GM was an old man looking like a wizard."<p>

"Greetings and Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. Many of you are wondering why you cannot find the log out button or is that a bug. Rest assured that I will explain everything. The missing Log Out button is not a bug but an actual feature of Sword Art Online. The only way to log out is for someone of you to beat the game." There where cries of anger, fear, and even some foul language. "The Betas could not do it, and they had a whole month to try. I don't even know how big this place is." Klein shouted next to Kirito. Kirito looked at him and placing a hand on his shoulder answered, "100 floors." Klein looked at him with fear. "How do you know?" Kirito looked at him calm, "I know because I was a Beta, remember." Kayaba continued.  
>"The second part is that the resurrection system is permanently disabled. There is no resurrection after you die, and when you die here you will also die in the real world. A massive surge go through the nervegear and fry your brain, If the nervegear is turned off from the outside world or they attempt to remove it the brain destruction sequence will initialize." More angry shouts were heard. "He is lying, right Kirito!?" Kirito was thinking and said, "No, the nervegear sends information to our brain using the same method as another instrument. That was a microwave oven. If he sends a high enough microwaves it will make the water that our brain cells consist off vibrate and cook it." Klein did not say anything he was angry, afraid, and horrified. "Why would Kayaba do this!?" was heard from a player.<br>"As of now 100 players did not believe my warning to the media and they are no longer part of this world or the real world. But worry not I made certain that all your bodies will be taken to a medical facility; I will pay and give care for your real bodies. All of you can relax and enjoy the game. As to why would i do this? It is very simple; I wanted to create a world, a world of beauty, wonder, and challenge. For too long did i see the next generation of people take their lives for granted and for to long did i see them not taking life seriously. This had to stop for the good of the entire world. "  
>Everyone did not care about the world or anything other than themselves. Kayaba was sure of this fact. "This ends the opening tutorial for Sword Arts Online." Kirito immediately began to think like he learned as a monster. Resources were not infinite; the key to survival was growth. Become strong quickly and efficiently.<br>He grabbed Klein and some scared looking girl and ran to a nearby alley. "Look in a matter of minutes the quests and monsters of this floor will be systematically wiped out. Our only chance is to leave now and head to the next town. We need to secure resources and begin building our strength, and before you even ask now we can take a large group. I know the route and that is why I can make a group of 3 anything bigger and we are not going to make it." The girl turned out was a rather nice looking young woman. Her blue hair and posture made her look like a fragile as a porcelain doll. She introduced her self as Sachi. Klein was trying hard to think of a way to convince Kirito to stay. Everything Kirito had said made absolute sense. "Look Kirito my friends are out on the plaza so I am going to go there, but before I go what is the deal with the mirror in my inventory?"  
>"The mirror seems to be a reward for the introductory tutorial." He took out the mirror and used it, his avatar took different shape. It was how he looked in life. "How did they know what we look like in the real world?" They each began to think and they came to the same conclusion. "The nervegear setup and calibration." They each answered with a smile on their face. "I will stay and help my friends out there but you and Sachi feel free to go to the next town, I already imposed enough with having you teach me how to play. I will pass it on my friends, but be sure to stay alive Kirito. I might make a guild and invite you by then you will be a real tough guy."<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

It had been over 1 month since his return to Aincrad. In this time he did his best to teach Sachi as much as he could about combat. All they ever did in fact for the entire month is train, eat, sleep. The training had done wonders on her self-esteem, and the fact that she was getting stronger was easy to see from the way they both solo some of the village's side quests. Kirito was sure that if they kept at this pace she would be able to survive this place.

This went on and it seems that after awhile the monsters in the dungeon did not even feel like much of a challenge anymore. This could not continue because the dungeon were beginning to feel more like a chore than training. "Kirito do you know where the 1st floor boss is at?" Sachi asked as she finished the 20th wolf monster in the last training session. "Sure, I know where he is at, Kobold King is his name, and he is rather the perv come to think of it." Sachi was not sure what he meant by that but she was going to ask. That was the idea until Kirito continued, "See he has guards kobold guards to be more specific, but i call him perv because all his guards are female. He treats them like his private harem. I just don't want to think what he does with them when there is no one to challenge him."

Sachi could not understand how he knew that or if he was messing with her and made it all up. "So how do you know where he is?" Kirito simply smiled and while pointing in a direction, "I beat him once as a beta. His name is Jack, and if you can get his mind out of the gutter he is pretty normal guy, and that is if you can get his mind out of the gutter." Sachi began laughing as the two began to walk in the direction that Kirito pointed at.

60 minutes later they where standing in from of the door leading to the boss. Most people would push the door open, some would kick it open, but not Kirito he simply went up to it and knocked. And it seems like Kirito began to growl, hiss and bark at the door. Little did Sachi know what he was saying was, "Hey, Jack mind opening the door need to talk to you!" What happened next shocked Sachi as the door opened and she saw that Kirito was not kidding there was the Kobold King surrounded by his guards looking like they had done some heavy running.

Kirito began to make monster noises yet again and Sachi could have sworn that the Kobold King was laughing. After the brief exchange of growls and hisses. Kirito picked up his swords, two basic one handed swords. This told Sachi that the fight was about to start. "Did you two have a nice chat?" asked Sachi looking at Kirito. He simply smiled, "I sure did. I managed to catch up on things and told each other some funny jokes. I told you Jack is an alright guy if you can get his mind out of the gutter, oh and by the way he likes your shoes. Well lets gets this over with!" Sachi looked suprised, "Won't killing him ruin your friendship with him?" Kirito simply went after that guards and knocked some of the down. "He will respawn after a day or 2 nothing major. So will his harem for that matter."

Sachi and Kirito killed all the guards and had the boss at 50% HP that is when he switched strategies. His big sword came into view and Kirito was laughing as he evaded the hits. Jack needs to work on his speed was the thought that went through his mind. But as he began hitting harder and faster Sachi stood back and was doing her best to back Kirito up, but his speed was unreal. The boss exploded into a mass of polygons, and they both sat down to rest.

**-Meanwhile-**

A meeting was held in the town plaza. Several players were gathered together to discuss how to find and kill the floor boss. "Ok, thanks for showing up. My name is Diabel and I am a knight class." Someone was heard shouting, "There is no job system in this place!" Everyone burst out laughing. "Ok we are here to talk about the floor boss, the room the boss is in was just found a few moments ago. We need to form parties of 3 to 4 people so that we might have a chance to beat it."

Kibao decided to stand up and interrupt. "No, what we need is to set something straight! I know that there are betas here! I will not work with Betas unless they apologize and share with us all their loot! We all know that the Betas took over all the best spawning grounds and best quests. The selfish bastards did not care about anything else except their own growth and left most of us newbies to simply bit the dust!"

Agil was not liking what he heard, "Let me get this straight you want all the Betas here to give up their coin and items to compensate for the people that died? is that right?" Kibao simply smiled, 'Easy money coming my way!' was the only thing he was thinking. "Yea, if they want us to work with us, they have to pay for their selfishness and show that they can think about others not just themselves!" Agil took a small book from his inventory. "Do you have one of these guides? They are free from the item shops."

Kibao did not like where this was going so he simply nodded. "This guide is made using data that the Betas provide for free. As far as I can tell most people use this guide. So to put it in your own words they already have paid in full!" Kibao did not like this one bit, this was not what he wanted. He wanted to get some free items and col from the Betas without having to risk anything. "Now just a darn minute, I still say that they need to pay! a little data is not enough!"

As Agil was about to talk and announcement was heard.

**"Defeat of floor boss Kobold King confirmed, path to next floor is now open. 2nd floor city open to the public, Have a nice day!" **

The only thing that everyone was thinking was, "What the hell happened, Someone beat the boss while we were arguing on petty things!"

On the room where the floor boss was Kirito got up and helped Sachi to stand up. "So when the boss respawns we have to beat him again?" Kirito simply smiled, "No, he simply goes back to live in his hometown. I sure would like to visit him once in a while, don't know if I can though." Sachi was not sure if Kirito was joking or being sarcastic. "Anyways the path is open lets go to the 2nd floor and start training we still got 99 floors to go!"

Sachi could tell that Kirito definitely had some secrets, but if she earned his trust enough maybe, just maybe she would learn some of these secrets, but then again he might have a reason why to keep them secret. The two went ahead towards the portal and went to the 2nd floor.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

As Kirito and Sachi went through and arrived at the 2nd floor the first thing they did was to look for a equipment shop. Since they had waited for so long for someone to take the initiative and defeat the Kobold King, they ended up grinding up a whole lot, and each had a very respective level. Kirito was level 15 and had fully mastered both his single sword and his twin blades skill set, his detection was pretty good, but could use some more practice. The battle healing was always active so always in practice. Sachi had mastered the single sword, and the lance techniques. She had a small amount experience in blacksmith, enough to maintain the equipment. But the one skill that she really tried to improve was her backlash technique. This technique was to return damage from an attack received, the menu said that a master can reflect damage 1,000x the damage that would have been received. Kirito joked around and told her if she mastered that skill she was going to be the dueling champion before to long.

The shop that they walked up to that saw offered what they needed was owned by a player. The sign at the door made Kirito not believe in the prices. The signed read, "Buy Cheap, Sell Cheap!" this had first made Kirito think this has to be a really bad joke, or a scam! If it was a joke he would laugh but god be with the shop owner if it was a scam. Because there would be hell to pay if it indeed was a scam.

As Kirito and Sachi walked in he was met by a very tall black man, who appeared to have his head clean shaven. "Welcome to my shop! Here to buy or sell?" Kirito looked at the man and said, "Need some better swords and armor. I got a few wolf pelts to sell what is the going rate for those?" The shop owner asked what level were they and they just showed him their character status window.

The poor shop owner nearly fell down from the shock. They were at least 7 level over him. "Well I got 3 Damascus steel long swords, and a 2 Damascus armor sets that would be around 10,000 col for the swords and 20,000 for the armor. Regular wolf pelts go for 250 col, but what i really pay for is the moonless night wolf pelt, that is 1,000 each. I hear that monster is really tough to kill and to find. The name is Agil, by your status windows you are Kirito and Sachi. Right?"

Kirito nodded, Sachi smiled. "So how would you like to pay for the gear?" Agil thinking that he pretty much going to make a bundle even if he did buy their regular wolf pelts. If he knew what Kirito was able to do, he would know how wrong he was. "I think 30 wolf pelts would just about cover it." Kirito motioned to get the pelts ready to transfer to Agil. "Just a second regular wolf pelts would not cover the price of this purchase." Kirito simply looked at him and smiled, "Who said anything about these being regular pelts."

Agil could not believe what he was hearing, "Look, you want me to believe that 2 players killed 30 moonless wolves all by yourselves? will you stop kidding around!" Kirito was now mad, he dare him."If I don't have the 30 moonless wolf pelts you keep what is in the trade window and we get nothing. But if I do have it then you have to add 20 teleport crystals free on charge. what say you Agil feeling lucky?" He was accepted, and as the window appeared all he could do was stutter as he accepted the trade. Kirito did have the moonless wolf pelts. Agil thinking that his blacksmith friends could make some nice gear with that kind of pelt he asked, "Do you happen to have any more for sale?" Agil simply waited to hear, "How many can you buy?" He looked at Kirito and said that he could by 60 of them no problem. "Just 60 well i guess other people can buy the rest.."

Agil was shocked yet again, "How many pelts do you have?" Kirito simply showed him his inventory and when he saw it was hard to believe, 200 moonless wolf pelts. "You have got to be kidding me! Did you start a moonless wolf ranch or what!" Kirito laughed again and told him he and Sachi spent a lot of time in caves on the first floor.

Agil ended up buying every single one of those pelts, but only if they promised that they would come to him first for any future purchasing needs. Sachi agreed to that in a heart beat. They had money to stay at an inn and eat regular food, no more staying in caves and eating the same old scavenged wolf meat. After the 100th time the taste can be a bit boring.

Before they walked out they equipped their new items and they did a final check if they had gained any extra bonus stats. There was an increase to damage resistance on the armor and a +10% damage on the swords. I guess since they armor was a set they gained those effects.

They walked to a nearby Inn when they heard a person yelling as if drunk. "What the hell, I was going to make a bundle off those stinking Betas but no some bastards decided to beat the floor boss while the rest of us were having a meeting to beat that boss." Some orange members laughed, "Well too bad for you! See I told you that you should have joined our guild when we sent you the invite. Everyone will fear our guild, "The laughing coffins will be a living nightmare for these fools!"

Kibao simply sat down drinking from his mug some more. "If I ever find the guys who beat that floor boss I will take my losses from their hides!" PoH simply laughed, "Oh get over it already, there are other floor bosses, and many chances to make a killing." Some of the players and even some of the npcs did not like what that meant.

Kirito and Sachi sat at a table a few away from the orange players. "So they are a criminal guild. What could possibly make them do that?" Kirito simply began eating his meal. "Is this your first online game?" Sachi nodded. "Well in online games players tend to change. Some enjoy playing the bad guy and doing things they would never do irl. But Sword Art Online is not a game, it is out reality, killing here has consequences, and killing a player for fun is just plain murder. You heard that guy they practically announced that their guild was going to be a murderer only guild."

Sachi could not believe that she ever saw Kirito that angry before. They both ate their meals and decided to pay the 15% tip. As they walked out Sachi asked where they were headed. "Oh, nothing major just a small cemetary to hunt down some skeleton warriors. They drop black metal items. I think we can make a good amount with those and gain some exp not much but some."

3 guys from Laughing Coffin decided to follow the pair as they left the town. They believed that since they did not believe in murder they would be easy targets. Let them kill a few monsters and when they are weak killed them to get all their items and col. This was going to make them some money just from how shiny their gear was.

Kirito had used his single sword techniques to destroy 30 skeleton warriors and Sachi killed the last 20 before clearing the area, and having to wait 30 minutes for more to appear. They sat down. This made the poor Laughing Coffin members think that they were tired, why were they poor you ask. Because they had no idea who they were messing with.

Kirito blocked the first player attack, and kicked him against his two friends. "Wimps like you that don't like to kill are easy prey for us!" As he tried to attack Sachi something happened, the rebound damage was 10 times higher than she would have received, this made the laughing coffin member fall on his knees before seeing that he was in the red zone. Sachi finished him off and did not look that faced by it. "What the hell you have killing right? how could you kill my friend! You know what happens when you kill someone here!" Sachi simply said, "We are against murder, but killing in self-defense we have no problem doing that."

The other two attacked Kirito but they made a mistake thinking that he could only use 1 sword. In the time Sachi finished off the first player killer, he had equipped his 2nd sword. In the time they took to attack him he was countering the attack and killed the guy who attacked. "You bastard, how could you kill my friend! If you attack to kill then you are no better than us!" Kirito simply laughed a cold laugh, "So the murderer is crying because someone killed his accomplice, just how dumb can you be! Self-defense is allowed even irl, but if you leave with your tail between your legs and do not attack us you can leave here alive." He ran but as he ran, "The guild master will hear of this and you will be hunted down like the mongrels you are!"

Kirito simply walked to Sachi and told her that clearing the place 3 more times and they would turn in for the day. Sachi looked relieved because they fact that they had money they could rent a room. An incredibly cheap room but it was better than sleeping on the field taking turns.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Since the first time Kirito and Sachi began training together she had missed doing several things. The things looked mundane and ordinary to most people, but not to her. In a long time she finally was able to sleep 8 hours without Kirito telling her every 3 hours that it was her turn to watch for danger. The time she could take a shower in a place with soap and hot water, that she could put on her clothes and they smelled clean. But the last and worst thing was the food. For the first time in a really long time she was eating something that looked like a person cooked it, and not try their best to make something she called edible charcoal.

Kirito did try his best at cooking but since he would never devote any skill slots to cooking, it actually never improved. If you wanted to track down and kill something he was a champ, but ask him to cook anything and well you could eat it. If you didn't think to much on the taste you could eat it. Klein once decided to see how the two were doing and made the worst mistake he could. He stayed with them and had dinner together. One look at the think Kirito called food, and he asked, "Is this food or a form of punishment?" Sachi simply laughed and answered, "Both." Kirito ate his portion never making a single comment and simply looked upset. He began thinking that if Sachi hated his cooking so much, what was stopping her from actually trying to do it herself?

But it always happened, Kirito cooked his monster scaring food as Sachi called it. Kirito got upset and ended up killing monsters on the fields that much quicker. But not right now. Because this day the two actually had more than 2 pieces of col to rub together. This meant two important things, that maybe he could rent a home or a small apartment, and the second was that Sachi could finally get Kirito to fall for her. I mean how dense can I guy be! He was making so many hints and not one was noticed by him. Klein joked one night that maybe Kirito did not like girls. Sachi was so upset she ended up throwing his share of the meal to a monster. The sad thing was that the monster smelled the food and just left. How bad was Kirito's food that not even a monster would eat it.

But deep down she knew that if they did rent a single bedroom apartment, Kirito would more than likely end up saying that he would take a sheet and sleep on the floor. What was it that was about her that he simply did not see as attractive. During the many training sessions she had developed a very nice figure, her hair was always arranged to highlight and frame her face in a cute way. Some guys even had asked her out on a date, only to realize who was her party member. At that time they either ran away or tried to challenge Kirito to a duel.

1 more month as the players on this floor were as bad as the 1st floor. 1 month and they still haven't figured where the boss was. The situation had gotten so bad that people started to form guilds so there would be places were they could at least find party members. The Aincrad Liberation Front or the army was a pathetic joke. They lived by extorting scared players that still lived in slums of the start city on floor 1. The holy dragoon alliance, there was nothing holy about them. It should be called the backstabber for a rare item group. They did not care how they obtained a rare item legal, illegal, moral or just crooked methods were acceptable. The group Klein form that might as well be called the just us league. They took care of each other and that was it. But the group that Kirito found nothing about was something called, the Knights of the Blood Oath. Not once did he ever see or meet a recruiter. He could get nothing from his usual info broker Argo the Rat.

He knew that Kirito needed to find a good guild to join. Kirito and Sachi could probably continue for 2 more floors but with a good enough of a group he could really feel that the boss fights would have a better margin for victory with a little more HP than usual. Sachi mentioned a group called the Moonlit Black Cats it seems that some of the member if not all of them were known by Sachi. She of course was invited, after all they were happy that their friend had survived for so long. Some of the female players looked at her armor and wondered how could she buy it. Some of the male members wondered how was Sachi who was usually a shy, timid person have such a respectable level. Sachi simply said that thanks to Kirito's training regiment she increases 3 to 4 levels a day. To some that seems working someone to death, to others it seemed like an ambitious plan.

The meeting with the Moonlit Black Cats did not go over well for Kirito. He was basically told that they were inviting him because if he did not accept, Sachi would not join either. So there it was the guild leader wanted him as bait for Sachi to join the group. "This upset Kirito to the point of walking out the hotel room without saying a word. "Kirito trust me if there is any group of people I know its this one. With your help you could help me save some of my old and best friends." Sachi pleaded. He simply looked at her and saw the tears in her eyes. "Ok, I will try and train them, but the first backstabber, the first betrayal and we leave the group." Sachi told him, "Don't worry the guild master is a real nice guy we even dated irl." If Sachi trusted him so much might as well give the guy a chance.

And so the Moonlit Black Cats gained 2 very strong players, and that made the other members less afraid. True to his words, Kirito was a tough taskmaster, and trainer. Under his direct instruction the small 7 group guild as advancing in skills and level. The leader would always get into an argument with Kirito on when to start going for the boss. The second floor boss turned out to be a female monster that Kirito knew. The first time she looked at him she ran up to him hugged him and rubbed her nose against his. That was practically kissing him. Sachi was not happy about that, or the fact that she was looking at kirito with obvious feeling there. What Kirito did not tell her is that she was an old flame. They dated and even got close enough for her to ask if he wanted marry her. So it was no surprise how she reacted after not seeing her former lover for so long.

Kirito was going to introduce her to Sachi when Sachi went ballistic. She took out her sword and started attacking the floor boss all by herself, and that is when the rest of the guild joined in except Kirito who tried to stop them. Sure they broke up because her dad did not approve of their engagement, but she was always nice person to him. But they would not listen to his words for them to stop. His former lover tried her best to warm them down so they would retreat, but Sachi was having none of that she used 5 healing crystals just to be able to beat her. Kirito was extremely sad when he heard her say, "How can you trust invaders like this?" before she was defeated.

Kirito continued his work to train the guild members and they were all around level 39 and some 42 thanks to his hellish training schedule some of the members joked. But on the 3rd floor it happened. The betrayal that Kirito did not even believe could happen. The guild master had talked alone with the members except Kirito and Sachi and decided that they would use all the money in the entire guild to buy a building as a guild headquarters. But as a guild master he saw how much col Sachi and Kirito had, with Kirito being able to negotiate a good price with Agil, and his spending habits Sachi and Kirito has a small fortune saved. The other members did not listen to Kirito regarding their spending habits so they were basically broke. So the guild master used a privilege to take all the money from all the guild members to buy a building on his name and called it the Moonlit Black Cat's Den. The thing was the deed to the building was set so he was the sole owner.

He did it one day while everyone was asleep, and he did not ask Sachi or Kirito their opinion on the matter. The next day they had a grand total of 0 col. Kirito asked Sachi if it was just him and she told him it was the entire guild. The guild master had used the tax function to tax everyone 100% of all col owned. To say that Kirito was mad would be a colossal understatement. He reminded Sachi that the first betrayal he and she would leave, and that is where it happened.

The guild master had taken credit for the training of the members, they told him that he had made his training schedule and that he was just an extra. So not only did they take all the money he and Sachi had before joining the guild, but made him an unwanted peon. "So let me gets this straight, He came up with the training and I am a dead weight?" Everyone said that was right. "Sachi as I promised we leave after certain conditions, we have been betrayed. Lets go."

Sachi simply let go of his hand as they were about to leave. "I am not leaving Kirito. The guild master must have done it for a real good reason! He would never betray me like that!" The guild master stood in front of Kirito and point blank told him, "If you think that I am returning a single col when you leave you must be out of your mind! Go ahead and beat it, we did not want you with us in the first place. I only wanted Sachi with me!"

Kirito left the guild right there and there. Not without saying 1 final thing, "You chose your bed, and no matter how many thorns you find later, you will sleep in it. Sachi good luck because you really are going to need it. I will not help this guild again!" Kirito heard the members scream at him that he was no help at all.

Kirito was so sad, angry and disappointed in the guild that he became a solo player from that moment on. They never realized that he was the one that knew how strong the monsters where in a particular field, and that he knew how long it took the monster to respawn. In a fit of anger he removed Sachi and the guild from his contact list. This has immense repercussions, Agil had a trade contract with Kirito that he held the right to negotiate sell of items. This contract was done during the Beta. The guild would have to sell items at the standard item price from now on.

He cleaned the entire floor fields of monsters and was a level 52 since he did not have to share any of the Exp. He went to the floor boss room and saw that it was not a friend, or an old spar buddy. It was an old bully from his monster days. The bully was just as much a jerk as was when Kirito lived as a child monster. "So the bully of the playground became a floor boss." Kirito growled. You could have sworn the boss was laughing his tail off.

Kirito took both of his blades and got ready and when the bully tried to attack it happened. His eyes changes to a deep red color, just like when he was a monster last. In this fight he fought as the red eyed demon of old. His bully from his past lasted a minute before breaking into polygons of light and was defeated. Because he defeated the floor boss alone, he got a black and red armor set that made him look almost demonic, and a pair of dual blades. The col count read 750k col. He opened the portal to the 4th floor. The Moonlit Black Cats were enjoying their Den when they heard the announcement, and for a minute the guild leader believed that the credit for clearing the floor boss would go to the guild. "4th floor boss cleared by solo player Kirito titled the black demon swordsman. Portal now open to the 5th floor, city open to players. Have a nice day!"

The Moonlit Black Cats were beyond surprised, some angry, and one sad. Kirito has beaten the floor boss alone. I guess he was not so useless after all. Some of the guild members regretted what they had yelled at him. They saw the deed for the Den for the first time that night while their Guild Master sulked and complained that they should be getting the recognition. The only thing that had the guild name was the title of the place, but the sole owner was the Guild Master. Sachi now had to be the trainer that Kirito was and without his knowledge the situation was so bad that after 3 of the members died because of a dumb idea the guild master had, the guild disbanded but the backstabber did not care if he was no longer the guild master. He was filthy stinking rich! The 3 remaining members joined the holy dragoon alliance after Sachi and the other members gave up each a ring that improved HP by 70%. the rings had been a gift from Kirito on christmas day that the former Guild Master took credit for.

Kirito was now all alone, and the traitor would soon find out that a group of friends or just 1 strong friend was more valuable than col. Especially since he was wasting so much money to live like a king that he attracted the worst band to attract their attention Laughing Coffins.


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Two months had come and gone and Kirito was taking it easy killing monsters on the 5th floor. It turned out that the guild Knights of the Blood Oath were as serious as he once was about clearing all 100 floors of Aincrad. But he was not as in a rush to finish the floors as he once was.

Many people did not realize that just as Aincrad had cities, fields, and shops for players. The floating castle had a hidden side to it. The monsters has the same. They had craftsman, shopkeepers, restaurants, and inns too. The monsters also had friends, families and in a real sense a community of their own. Kirito having spent some time as a monster he knew every law, language, and monster custom. So when he was betrayed by the human guild he decided to go visit his monster friends. Even if some had been ones he defeated, they welcomed him with open arms. It was a simply spar between them and their friendship would not be damages because he did that or that he looked like one of the invaders.

For the first time he went to the cafe owned by one of his old friend, "Boy, Kirito you sure did a number on me. I swear you look just like one of those filthy invaders. What will you have today? On the house!" The cook yelled from behind the counter at the kitchen. "Jack you sure you don't feel bad about losing the floor boss position?" The kobold king dressed in what looked like jeans, a checkered shirt and holding a saucepan smiled, "Nah, I had to take that post. You know me I am a lot happier cooking and my supposed guards love to take care of the customers. Not to mention they really hated having to wear that armor." Jack looking at the kobold wearing waitress uniforms and really looking at them with intent.

"You never change, always your mind in the gutter." Kirito said laughing while he looked at Jack's blushing face. Jack put down the food on a plate and rang a bell. "Order Ready! You say that but try and tell me when you have found love in your lonely life!" Kirito picked up the plate and a fork. "It's mine. Hey I haven't met anyone that could keep up with me!" Jack looked at him eating, "Oh, and what off the young cutie that was with you when you beat me?" Kirito nearly choked, grabbed a glass of juice that Jack placed near him without him even noticing. "No, man. She turned out was only using me. She even got me to train a whole bunch of her friends, and picked them over me."

"I am sorry to hear that, the way Velvet was talking she was under the impression that she had some feelings for you. She said that she really was jealous of how she greeted you." Kirito put down the glass. "Nope, betrayed me anyways, but what do you expect from invaders anyways."

Jack could call him a jilted lover, or a cheated boyfriend and joked about his horns showing. But he was not so mean to kick a wounded friend. "So tell me Kirito are you done with that disguise yet? taking your post as a royal guard?" Kirito simply looked at Jack, "You know that I can't stay here in Aincrad forever, no matter how much I wish I could. I am here to enjoy some good food, pleasant company, and meet with some of my old friends. Except Velvet, I think she will be mad at me... then i am going back to that place and get stronger in spars like always. You think the red king would welcome me back?"

Jack was busy cooking the next dish but answered, "For sure, you were one of his best. Heck you could even be the floor boss for a high level floor. Like your dad, oh and Velvet told me your brother is really getting tough." Kirito laughed, "Oh, come on. Little blueboy is getting strong that is a surprise." He put the dish down and drank the last of the juice. "Hey Jack your cooking is getting a lot better. Thanks for the meal." Jack looked back and smiled, "Thanks for the praise and the wonderful spar. We should do it again sometime." Kirito smiled as he left towards the hidden path towards the player domain. As he left the town he saw Velvet waiving at him. "Guess she is not that mad after all."

Kirito was walking along the town on the 5th floor and watched as all the human npcs did business and players walked around. He went to a local shop to buy some raw materials and a few crystals. Then he went towards the fields and decided to grind a few more levels. Argo the Rat was nearby grinding too. "Hey Kirito when are you going to give me all your secrets. I could make a small fortune." Kirito finished his last monster and shuck his head. "My secrets are just that secret. I would never betray the people that told me that info and sell it."

Argo kept trying to finish this one grey wolf monster but couldn't. Kirito simply took a throw pick and threw it at the monster a little too hard. He was struck and immediately broke into polygons and banished. "Hey, I don't steal you prey respect mine!" Kirito laughed, "Looked like you were having trouble, you should thank me!"

"Oh, then I will thank you in the only thing I can give that you will accept." She showed him the map. "They say if you kill 200 wolves with your bare hands in this field, a rare monster appears. It supposed to drop some really cool dual swords. 3 have tried to but they all ended up running with their tails between their legs when they saw the rare monster."

Kirito read the place on her map, "Ok, maybe next time I can show you what those blades look like and let you see what they do. You would like that right?" Argo simply smiled with a nod. "Anyways catch. He threw what looked like a box. "Happy Birthday, Argo." She immediately opened the box it was a pair of gloves. Tried them on and said, "Thanks Kirito!" but he did not hear. Kirito was long gone.

When he got to the field someone was already there grinding, pretty weird looking clothes. Red and white, looked like a uniform the young woman was busy fighting to see him. Her orange-brownish chestnut hair and pretty good with the sword by the looks of it. What kind of sword rapier by the looks of it. She must have trained a lot, and this coming from a guy that mastered 2 sword styles and was level 59. He watched her fight and it almost looked like a dance. He killed a monster too which caused her to turn around. What a beautiful face. Her hair just framed it into a nice look. He kept on killing monster and she did too until the place was clear. "Who are you?" Kirito heard the young woman say, "It is only polite to introduce yourself, before you ask someone's name." Kirito said as he sheathed his sword. "Manners in this place? Well my name is Asuna, You?"

Kirito extended a hand and answered, "Kirito. You probably never heard on me." She took the hand and they shared a friendly handshake. "Oh, on the contrary. I paid Argo the Rat to lie to you about a supposed rare monster that supposed to appear here. As a Beta I was sure that you would not fall for it, but here we are." Kirito looked hurt, someone else lied to him. "So what do you want from me?" Asuna looked at him with a critical look. "I wanted to know if you want to join the assault forces on the front line. Who knows maybe if you are good enough you might join my guild." Kirito was looking at her with a cold look in his eyes, "I had bad experiences with guilds. If you let me be solo sure I will help in the front lines, but no parties, and no following me. Deal?" Asuna did not know why he looked at her like that when she mentioned joining her guild. "Deal, but it will be tough on your own. You might latter regret it."

As he accepted to be added as a contact, he began to walk away, "No I will not regret it. What do I have to lose." Asuna simply yelled at him so he could hear. "Your Life!" Asuna wondered what could make a person so sad, maybe it was being trapped in this death game or it could be something else. She did not know but maybe one day she would find out.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Kirito did not mind the solitude, he did not need more people eating away out of his exp, money or items. He sure did not need a potential backstabber to wait for him to be weakened to try and kill him and claim everything he carried on him. But sometimes you get somethings you don't really want or need. In this case it was someone.

**~Flashback a few hours prior~**

"**I said quite clearly that i would work solo on the front lines, and you agreed to it. Now you are telling me that I should form a party?**" Kirito was practically screaming at an equally stubborn Asuna. "Look Kirito i think the front line assault forces need someone to give them a much needed training so we can clear floor faster and safer." Asuna was looking at the situation and saw that the way the assault force was they would lose my people. "**I am not a babysitter! You knew that when you asked me to join!**" Kirito was so mad that you could see the anger just roll off him. He had slammed the meeting table so hard that the immortal object message appeared. "The assault for would lose half their members if you do not train them, and then how are we supposed to leave his death game?" Kirito did not care about that, he did not need anymore backstabbers. "These idiots will not obey, and those that do make me question their loyalty toward the assault force. I don't trust them. Who is to say that I train them and then they turn to Pkers while we are asleep?" Asuna was not going to take no for an answer. "**I am the commander of the assault force, and this was not a request it is an order!**" She looked at Kirito still upset, but he said nothing. "**You will work with the members from the Holy Dragoon Alliance and that is final!**" Asuna left the meeting place, and when everyone was not looking they could not see the tears that threaten to run down her face. "Why can't that fool see how much working alone scares and worries me!"

**~end of flashback~**

Kirito was the second in command after having earned it by working the missions Asuna assigned. No one could say that he was not one of the strongest players only second to Heathcliff. But he was guild master of the strongest guild in Aincrad. In less than 2 months they had cleared 5 floors. This pace was hard to believe but Kirito always seemed to know where the floor boss room was or he would simply go and train till some people called him a dirty name that the players came up with. Kirito the Beater. It was a combination of the words Beta and Cheater, no one knew who came up with it, But people always assumed that Kirito was a Beta that had seen all these floor before, and because he did not share the info with anyone they thought he was cheating.

Kirito did not care at all what they called him. The black swordsman, Beater, or even Death's Twin Blader. He did not care one bit, gone was the boy that once laughed, joked and enjoyed the company of others. The cold, calculating, and cruel swordsman was the only thing left of Kirito, at least as far as everyone was able to see.

The source of his current problems was an old acquaintance. Sachi somehow managed to get pretty high in the Holy Dragoon Alliance, and the fact that several of the former Moonlit Cats were present in what would be called, Hell's training camp did not make matters any better. Kirito did not ever want to see these players ever, and now he was supposed to train the very members that either betrayed him or did not even appreciate his training of them before. The other Holy Dragoon members were simply not lucky at all being in the same group as Sachi.

That is not to say that Sachi did not have a problem either. The way Asuna talked, and mentioned the high regard she held Kirito to was one thing. In just a little time, Sachi was sure that Asuna had hidden feelings towards Kirito and the word jealousy was not strong enough to describe what Sachi felt. She seemed to only remember the happy times when Kirito was her fellow guild mate. The times they trained and worked together to grow stronger. Those intimate moments when they used to sleep in the field and at together. Granted it was not the greatest food in the world they ate, but the sense of togetherness was there for her.

Kirito looked at the group of players too busy to notice he was going to talk. They chatted, laughed and behaved like it was just camping.

**"Cut the chatter and open your ears if you know what is good for you!" **This instantly made everyone look at him. **"We are here because you sorry excuse of maggots are supposed to be the toughest players this world has! Clearly it is not the case, we will train and only train. The fairy tale you had this was a relaxing camp get that out of your heads right now! At the evening I will hold dueling times for those that think that they can beat me! But if you lose the duel, you will get a rude awakening. I do not have mercy for anyone. Least of all you! Now you will form in line and the only thing I want coming from your mouths from now is when I tell you something is, "Sir, Yes Sir." Well what are you waiting for a bell. Get moving!"**

Instantly everyone moved into lines and yelled, **"Sir, yes Sir!" **So began the time of the training camp and indeed there were some idiots that did in fact challenge him to a duel. Every single one lost to their so called Beater drill instructor. True to his words he really did not have any mercy.

In less that 6 weeks every single member of the camp rose 10 levels. The discipline was unheard off, so much so that some of the "Army" looked relaxed in their treatment of their members. Kirito was not wasting time. He too was getting stronger, and as the duelist realized that between fighting a monster or challenge him to a duel. They would pick the monster, at least they were not as cruel when you fought them.

The training camp lasted 3 months, and not a single time did he ever come close to being kind, friendly or merciful. Sachi tried many times to talk to him, and each time the request to talk in private was rejected. He did not even eat with the people he was training. He bough some NPC made jerky what looked like made out of monster meat, and would eat a stick in every meal.

Some players joked that those tasted horrible. Some even said that Kirito ate them to keep that sour look on his face. But of course all the chatting was done at the time they should be asleep and resting. This was the final day of their time in this hellish training camp.

**"Now that you maggots know how to train, I don't expect anyone of you to die out there. This camp is over but the training will only be over when you get all the people here back to that other world you came from. Congratulations on finishing and go out there and give the enemy Hell. Do you understand!" **Every single member was practically in tears as they all screamed, **"Sir, yes Sir!" **Kirito walked a little back and made a motion. Those who knew what it was saw it. A salute. **"Dismissed!"**

Asuna could hardly believe the results. The guild leaders were complaining about the 3 months of loss time and how no progress was made. This was all quiet now, In 1 month after the training camp, the had cleared 15 floors. The monsters had to even form training camps of their own to increase the difficulty of the game. The rewards therefore were better, and the drops items were in great quality. It seems monsters were making an effort to prove their kind with better armor and weapons. Heathcliff made a joke one day that maybe he should recruit Kirito to head an academy for players to learn how to train! The Holy Dragoon Alliance leader just said, "If that happens I think monsters will start to surrender, and where is the fun in a game where the monster give up?"

As he finished saying that they all wondered, "How can someone that dumb be the leader of such a big guild?"


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

After 6 months since they were all trapped in this death game, the situation began to slow down to a crawl. Just as Kirito had taught the assault forces, the monsters had watched and they too had increased their power. It was due to his training methods and vigilance they learned that deaths began to slow down and now after 6 months deaths caused by monsters were down to 0.

Player Killers were still present but Kirito had taught the people in the assault force ethics along with everything else. It was safe to say that Kirito was a very effective teacher. His students proved to have taken it all to heart. There was not a single more disciplined and organized force in all Aincrad. But this proved to be a curse for Kirito. Since he was so effective, the major guilds were all constantly looking for him, to recruit him or to get his to teach their guild members.

It was on the 7th month that he finally had just about enough. He had gone to his humble home on the 50th floor residential zone when he saw the thing that made him angry as all hell. All the major guilds were camped out in front of his home. This was like when players had camped out to even get a copy of this game.

He did the only thing he could. Go to his friend and ask for some advice. He was quickly running out of options. He camped out in dungeons, caves, and monster infested ruins. Nothing kept these pests away. The recruiters were simply not going to take no for an answer. The previous floor bosses were living quite happily in the monster side of Aincrad. He even went and visited some of them. They would spar and laugh. But even then if he disappeared for good. People would get depressed and suicides would happen again. He would feel guilty of basically causing player deaths.

But Kirito had 2 player friends and the one he never picture would be. Klein and Agil were his friends but he would never admit Klein was his friend. I mean he was one of the people that kept bugging him with request after request of joining his guild.

Agil could hardly contain his laughter. "So let me get this straight. You have over 20 recruiters from all sorts of guild camped out your home to recruit you?" Kirito was not having a good day. "Look it would be one thing if it was just the major guilds they at least can take a rejection. But I got crafting guilds, scouting guilds, and even some orange and red guilds after me for crying out loud! What does a guy need to do to have some peace and quiet!"

Agil knew where he was coming from. Being a solo player scouting the front line fields was a stressful job but this situation. This situation made it even hard to have a good meal. "Well you can keep camping in the fields in the front line." Kirito simply looked at him. "What do you think i been doing lately?" The situation had to stop.. Agil just looked at it in all angles. Being a business man he needed to be able to look at a situation from all possible paths. "Well I got a solution you will not like it but it is a solution." Kirito tried not to look hopeful. "Get yourself a really strong wife!"

Was Agil losing his mind. "Let me get this straight you want me to get a really strong wife. Switch one nightmare for an even worse one? Are you going mental or did you take a hit on your shining head when i was not here?"

"Oh come on, what is so wrong about the wife idea. She would keep the riffraff away from your home, and maybe make you happy in a few ways." Kirito could hardly believe what he was hearing. "I don't know how about the fact that she would drag me by the neck to join her guild, or worse she may want to form a new guild with me as the guild trainer!" Agil had to admit that he did not see that when he was thinking about options.

"Agil, I swear that sometimes I want to end it all, and just jump from Aincrad. But that would be cowardly and I may be stubborn, but I am no coward." Agil was looking at him with concern. "And not to mention if one of the strongest players commits suicide, the rest of the weaker players would lose home and sure to follow you jumping." Agil was thinking the same thing. "I will simply find a place where the monsters are tough enough to help me keep my skills sharp but too much for the recruiters to find me!"

Agil did not like the sound of that. "I will sure miss having this pleasant conversations." Kirito laughed, he would miss the items he could provide as raw materials, and the business he made off those items more. But even if he wanted to live on a regular basis on the monster side. Velvet was not making that a real choice either. She kept asking around for him, and he kept trying to avoid her.

She sure was nice once you got to know her, her looks and personality made her a real beauty. But he would have to eventually live Aincrad. He did not feel right about leaving a wife, and possibly a kid or two. The only real choice would be a fellow player, but who would be interested in him. He was considered a demon by some players, and some others only wanted him for what they could get from him or get him to teach them.

"Oh well, the front lines is at the 56th floor. I guess my students are doing me proud. All except the one present that is!" Agil was not happy to hear that. "Hey, I have been in every single floor boss fight right next to you!" Kirito knew why but he was not going to say it. The minions of those floor boss drop choice crafting materials after all.

As he got up, and paid for the items he wanted to purchase he saw someone following him. "Whoever you are come out now! If you are a recruiter the answer is no! and if you are an orange player the second you try and attack me in the fields you are dead!" Asuna came out of her hiding place. "As friendly as ever I see. I came to ask you to give me the map data for the 56 floor, like you are supposed to." Kirito looked crossed. "Look, lightning flash, I have better things to do that to go to your guild hall and have to say no to your recruiters for the 5,000th time. You want me to deliver the data, then put a lid on your recruiters!"

Asuna knew that was the reason, but would it be so bad for him to be a little nicer to her. Every time they had a floor boss strategy meeting he argued with what she planned. Granted some of the time he did have a good reason, but could he be so blind about the way she looked at him. She really found him interesting, handsome, strong and so ethical and moral that you could hardly believe all his clothes he wore were in black.

He simply opened the map screen and sent her the map data. As he was about to leave he hear her say, "Would it kill you to simply spend some time and talk with me. I have no idea how you been!" Kirito simply looked at her. "You are the revered lightning flash Asuna, aren't you worried that your reputation would go down hill if you are seen with the twin fanged demon?" Asuna simply smiled, if he needed to ask it means that he really cared about her. That made her very happy. "If you are worried, then don't. I can handle those gossip freaks any day. So how about it? Want to have lunch with me and talk about something other than assault force stuff?"

**~Somewhere else~**

Velvet was walking towards her home. Yet again she could not find Kirito. She really needed to find Kirito to tell him some really important things. But for some reason her ex lover was making it really hard to track him down. She could not ask his father since he was still on floor boss duty on a floor on the floor higher than the 70th floor. That was an achievement that not many monsters achieved at his age. But she needed to find him and tell him of what happened between them and the what happened after he disappeared all that time ago.

In Aincrad 10 years he had been missing, Jack told her that he had been at his little restaurant and that he was fine. But that was not enough, she saw him next with some bimbo. The minute she tried to have a conversation with Kirito the little bimbo got in the way and attacked her with such malice. She was a floor boss, and even she was taken back by the cruelty of that invader tramp and her minions. She had been happy to see Kirito try and calmed them down, but after her defeat. She hadn't been able to find him.

"Mama, did you find daddy today?" A young girl asked her as she stepped into her home. "No, Yui I haven't been able to find your daddy. I'm sorry sweety. Maybe I should take up my brothers offer and have him watch over you when i am gone." Yui did not want to hear that, she knew that her mama was ill. But there had to be some way for her to be able to see Kirito again. That is what Velvet wanted after all. To introduce Kirito to their daughter and share some happiness with her lost lover just once before her life ended.

"Don't worry mama, I am trying my best at the Cardinal System job that I got a few months ago!" Velvet was happy for her little girl, "But what can you do? you are the mental health support officer? Did cardinal finally give you access to be able to talk to the invaders?"

Yui did not have all the access she needed that was true. "Don't worry mama I will find him. I will find papa! and I will get him to meet you I will do my best!" Velvet was proud of her little girl. "I am sure you will, I am sure your papa is as proud of you as I am. Now help me with these groceries and lets have dinner. I am tired."

Yui jumped at that and helped her mama with the bags and walking with her holding the bags toward the kitchen. Yes one day she would be able to see her daddy. But she really wanted that day to be soon. She did not know how long her mama would be able to live with her condition.


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

For Kirito life was getting worse and worse. Asuna did stop almost all the recruiters for the Knights of the Blood Oath, well all except one. Asuna was sure that she could get Kirito to join. If the two strongest players were in the same guild it would improve moral, and it would improve the lives of Betas all around.

Kirito scouted 3 floors in that month after he last gave her the data of the 56th floor. In every single instance where he walking into the cold, stiff, and generally unwelcoming building he always wondered why did he even bother coming to his place. He could simply left the data with Agil, and he could sell it to Asuna. Maybe he could ask Agil to give him a cut off the fee. But here he was ready to be asked to join this guild for god only knows how many times. the 60th floor data took longer than most and he was delivering it to the vice commander of the guild once again.

"Asuna, Seriously when are you and your boss going to learn to listen? I mean what do I have to do to make my point get across? I do not want to join a guild, Period!" Asuna was not giving up so soon, or ever for that matter. "Look Kirito we have the best blacksmith facilities, we would equip you with better gear at no extra cost, and we provide housing to all out members. You have to admit, you keep yourself, your equipment, and your peace and quiet you want so much. The benefits are better once you pass the officer placement test. I would not even dream of mentioning the benefits officer have, but they are quite enticing."

Kirito had seen her do this a few times, she was in what he called recruiter mode. "I have a few business contacts that keep my gear well maintained, since the recruiters left me alone, most of them anyways I have a pretty peaceful life. My home in the 50th floor is quite cozy. And if I can't afford new gear, the monster drops are quite better when you are solo. Not to mention that I don't have to share exp with anyone. So you see Asuna your pitch might work for someone else, but not me."

Asuna was not done, "What of my personal interests in you. Forget that the guild could really use you. I want to spend some time with you. For crying out loud since that training camp you don't even reply to my messages anymore." Asuna doing her best to put a cute look on her face.

Kirito looked at her, "I don't reply because the answer is the same, and that is No. I don't want to join a guild, No I don't want to do another training camp, and No I don't want to form my own guild. Honestly not a single person ever sends me a message asking how I am or if they want to get together to chat. It can make answering messages a real pain and makes me want to ignore them."

Asuna understood where he was coming from, in her case was marriage proposals. How many times did she have to write to people telling them that she had a person she wanted to marry. That her heart was spoken for. That she was already in love with a powerful, yet dense player. How dense can a person be? Every time he came to deliver the data she wore her best uniform, the uniform that made her look the prettiest. The stuff she called parade and functions uniform. But Kirito was so dense that he did not even notice the make up and perfume either.

Her own bodyguard Kuradeel had made so many passes at her it was sad. But this had to change somehow. How would she get to notice her. I guess she needed to play her last card, "If you have a rare cooking ingredient I would be happy to cook it for you." Kirito wondered what she was after.

"If I find an item I might consider it, but I would not think about it too much if I was you." If he knew how wrong he was he would not even try and use that excuse.

There he was on the forest of the newest open floor, and that when it happened he saw something in the bush. He grabbed a throw pick and threw two of them. It hit something that look like a rabbit. He looked at the item name, "Raggout Rabbit Meat." A hell this item was super rare. He was tempted to send a message to Asuna but he thought that she was busy enough.

He walked into the new Agil shop on his home floor. The 50th floor had a very big commercial sector, and such it was easy for Kirito to buy supplies. "So Kirito in to buy or sell?" Agil greeted him. "I might sell but first look at the item." He opened his inventory screen and displayed the item. "Kirito this is a super rare food item, you are not hurting for col right? would you not want to eat it?" Kirito relaxed on the counter. "With my cooking skills? I would end up with charcoal. If I found a person with high enough cooking skills that might be something but as of now..." As he was saying Asuna walked into the shop. He immediately grabbed her hands and said, "Chef acquired!"

Asuna began to blush and her bodyguard gave him a look of hate that could scare a monster. He quickly let go of her hands, "So Asuna what are you doing slumming in this dump of a shop?" Agil was heard saying protest against what he called his shop. "I am here to tell you about the floor boss meeting for the next floor. You don't answer my messages remember? and what do me mean chef acquired?" Kirito looked at her, "Say Asuna how high is your cooking skill?" She looked proud and with a smile she answered, "I mastered it last week. Why?" Kirito knew how much you had to practice a skill to master it, and spending all that time on cooking it was beyond stupid. "Well I have this rare food ingredient and you once offered to cook it for me."

Asuna was surprised to see Kirito remember that promised. "So what item is it?" He simply showed her the item. "Ragout Rabbit!" Kirito looked at the smile and said, "If you cook it I will let you have a bite." She quickly grabbed him by his coat and said,"Half! I want Half!" He quickly agreed.

"Oh well looks like I will not be selling it, sorry Agil." Agil looked at him pleading, "Kirito I am your friend right? how about letting me have a bite?" Kirito was walking towards the exit of the shop and simply said, "Oh I will write a 2 page essay on how it taste I can give you that." As he walked outside he heard a crying Agil say, "Oh Come on!"

"Well I doubt you even have a stove in your house. So might as well go to mine." Her scheme was set in motion. If he saw how nice the floor where the guild members were housed recruiting him would be much easier.

"I must object Asuna-sama. You should not dirty your home with such an undeserving weakling like him." Asuna looked at her bodyguard, "I did not ask for your opinion Kuradeel. And I would not call him weak he is at least 10 levels higher than you." Kuradeel was taken back by what she said but everything made sense, there was only one way he was that strong. "So he is a Beater. Asuna-sama you should not associate with a Beater, you must think on your reputation. Beaters are selfish, greedy, and immoral players. You are the light of hope to our guild. You should not tarnish your good name by associating with him!"

Asuna was now mad, "**Kuradeel I order you to leave and do not return till I call for you!**" He had no choice but to walk towards a nearby portal and leave. Kirito watched, "Are you sure you will be alright?" Asuna still upset just grabbed his hand and began dragging him along, "It will be find, lets go already."


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

What kirito expected was a decent meal, granted he never expected this. First she was giving a grand tour of a place so high in costs, that the sheer look of the homes made him feel like he begged for coins at a nearby bar. The place was so high in looks, clean, an air of sophistication. That when he though in terms of property taxes, it made him almost imagine his wallet crying and running for dear life. The NPC women were dressed in stunningly beautiful clothes, and more he spent time, the more he thought. "No wonder Asuna always look at the town i live in as a ghetto." He believed that a single window would cost more than his entire house.

"It's a very nice, and peaceful town." Kirito mentioned to her. "Why don't you join the guild. This part of town is where we could provide you with a home." He simply kept on walking. "Look I said it was a nice town, but I am not joining no guild if it is in my control. I would have to be quite literally be forced to do it, and I would more than likely be kicking and screaming as the person drags me into the guild." Asuna could not understand why he was so against joining guilds.

For a moment Kirito was growling in an almost upset tone, what she did not understand is what he was actually doing. "Trust an invader to never see beyond the surface. Why am I here?" was what he was saying in monster. The few monsters that had listened simply said to themselves, "Because you are either letting your hormones do the thinking or your insane." Kirito smiled when he heard the reply. Maybe he was insane or maybe his hormones where at fault, but maybe it was a little bit of both.

He stopped at a home that looked so expensive that he felt out of place, "Well lets go it, the sun is setting and we were supposed to cook this thing, right?" As he walked in he excused himself and walked towards a couch, "Darn, this couch is really comfortable, puts my furniture to shame." As Asuma walked towards the spacious kitchen she told him, "Aren't you going to take your weapon and coat off?" Kirito did not even think about it, He was in someone else home. But since she mentioned it he did just that. He took off his coat and sword.

"Cooking is over simplified in Aincrad. To actually cook we would need to do all sort of prep work, and steps. That is why most people find it boring." Asuna explained as she cut the ragout meat, looked like it would make a decent stew. "Now set this for 30 minutes, and now for some side dishes." She was on a roll. She made some fruit salad, and some nice looking tea.

"Well don't just stand there, help me get the table set." Kirito did just that. He helped her set the table ware, he did not want to even touch the dishes. He felt that if he touched them and broke one. He would have to sell his house to pay for it.

Kirito heard a bell, and Asuna walked to the oven. Pulled out a steaming pot and carried it to the place on the table. As she took the lid off the smell it came off was making his mouth water. She took his plate served his portion and she served hers on her plate. After a traditional grace said by her, and occasionally slapping the spoon form his hand as he wanted to eat without waiting. The meal was great, he never had anything that good. "Ah, I am glad to have lived long enough to enjoy something like that." Asuna said as she began serving the tea. "Me too." Kirito replied.

It is funny he never could get that kind of food in the restaurants in Aincrad, I guess it just needs the touch of something he could not describe. "You know it is funny, I sometimes feel like I lived here all my life. Like the other place is a hallucination or a dream." Kirito smiled, to him this place was his home. Aincrad had everything he needed, challenge, an opportunity for personal growth, and some real friends. Granted to most they look like bloodthirsty monsters but Jack and the others had their fun side too. "People simply adapt, and some just begin to realize that they want to escape something from that other place." Asuna understood what he was saying, but it was sad. "It might be true for some, but there is things I want to do that I can't do here. Alright the answer is no and stop giving that look." Kirito looked confused, "Its just that when ever someone eats my cooking they often, the men tend to propose to me." Kirito looked shocked. "Guess no one special with you then?" Kirito tried to take another sip of tea, but his cup was empty. That is when she offered a refill. "I am a solo player, how am I supposed to even start a relationship." Asuna was both happy and a little sad. A little happy to know that she had very little competition for his affections, but a little sad to seeing him so alone.

"You know I am going to party with your tomorrow, and my horoscope said my lucky color for tomorrow was black." As she sent him an invite to form a party. He decided to drink a little tea, "You know that most party members simply slow me down." As he finished he saw her start a high level rapier skill. "I guess you are the exemption." Looking defeated he accepted, they both agreed to go for broke and start at the new floor that just opened, 70th floor. They both agreed to meet early in the morning, little did they know what she had someone spying on them.

At 7:30 am in front of the portal. "She is late, how long does she intend on keeping me waiting." As he said that he heard someone scream for him to move out of the way. It happened so fast that he couldn't and so he and the young woman crashed. She landed on top of him, and tried to grab something to get back up. He did grab something. "What is this." Grabbed and felt "Well, it's soft, and has a real nice flexible feel." When she saw what he was grabbing she slapped him so hard that he was sent flying and hit a small column. He looked at her and it was Asuna, and she was holding her hands guarding her breasts. He looked at her and looked at his had and made the same grabbing motions. He realized immediately what he had grabbed. Quickly he rose a hand and said, "Hey, Asuna good morning." She quickly ran towards Kirito's back. And then he saw Kuradeel walking towards her. "Asuna-sama I do wish you would not make my job so hard." She looked at him in pure rage, "Your job includes spying on me while I am in my own home." Kuradeel simply answered. "My job is bodyguard, so I must make sure you are safe regardless of where you are." She could not take it. "That does not include peeking when I was taking a shower! You Idiot!" He did not even replayed and grabbed her hand. "Let's go to headquarters. I am sure you are needed there!"

Kirito did not live bullies, and he did not like a person taking advantage of a young woman. He grabbed his hand, "I will be borrowing your vice commander for a little bit of scouting." He let go of Asuna. **"You filthy Beater, you really feel like you can do my job! So prove it coward and duel me!" ** He simply equipped a second blade. The tension could be cut with a knife. He was sent the duel to be a first strike, no time limit. He changed that No time limit, first to drop 70% HP. Kirito was not about to let this creep off so easy. He was going to receive the beating he so richly deserved. As both accepted the count down started. Kuradeel has a large 2 handed ornate sword. Kirito simply waited for him to attack. Using a high skill he did and was sure it hit when he received 2 hits. One on his blade sending the blade back and another across his chest.

He was sent flying a few feet. The winner icon appeared over Kirito and as Kuradeel looked at his sword it shattered. His HP was 10% and lost his blade. "If you are not happy use a healing crystal and equip a knew weapon. I will do it as many times as you want!" Kuradeel being arrogant he grabbed a dagger and attacked Kirito. The dagger was poisoned. Kuradeel was sure that Kirito would die if it hit. Asuna jumped in and also did an attack on his dagger and it was cut in half. **"Asuna-sama, that filthy beater cheated, he must have! I would not have lost to someone like him otherwise!"** He could hardly believe the glare he was receiving. **"Kuradeel, you are dismissed from the position of bodyguard. You are to return to headquarters and await further orders. Disobey and I will remove you from the Guild under the charge of insubordination." **If looks could kill Kirito would be dead, that is how hateful Kuradeel glare was.

"Are you sure you will be alright?" Kirito asked Asuna as she watch Kuradeel use the portal. "I will be fine, come one we have a whole new level to explore. I can't wait to see what monsters we get to fight!"

**~Somewhere else~**

Yui looked at her mom resting on her bed, "Momma, why do you think daddy is avoiding us." Velvet looked at her daughter. "It is a long story are you sure you want to hear it?" Yui simply gave an excited nod. "When I met your dad he was a guard in the king's guard. His dad was just a floor boss, and his brother was a random mid level boss. So that was something his dad was very proud off. I worked as the guard's healer. I was named Velvet because of my hair since I was born, but my official title was the emerald fiend. Your dad was titled the twin fanged ruby fiend. He could use two swords that is why they called him Twin Fanged."

"He did was pure offensive, and so he got hurt quite a bit, during the many training spars between the guards. So we spent quite a bit of time together. The day he won his post as Captain, was the day that we made love for the first time, and during it he bit my left breast. We both received the Mate mark of our race. In all intents and purposes we were married. Your father worked really hard, and so he had to spend a long time away from our new home. The king provided us with one, and I was given permission to be a simple housewife. The king must have known that was also the same night that you were conceived."

"My life was happy, and I was a happy housewife, proud mate to the captain of the king's guard. my in laws your grandparents visited every so often. But 2 days before your daddy vanished from Aincrad something happened. His brother Icefelt, came to visit me at our home. I was 2 weeks pregnant with you, but that did not stop your uncle from doing the most despicable thing ever, he raped me. When he did he bite me on the same place, trying to claim me. Two mate marks was bad enough of a taboo, but on the same place. The marks on your daddy and my mark burned off. His mark disappeared after the pain I imagine, but mine became the condition you see. I am slowly becoming weaker. The punishment for cheating on a mate. For you see during the time when your uncle did that, I actually enjoyed it. It was purely physical reaction, but it made me the cheater of my mate, and that is why I can't go to other floors. I am not strong enough anymore. I have to rely on the few friends I have in the guard, and some floor bosses to try and find your daddy."

Yui was sad to hear that her uncle had done something so horrible, "Don't worry momma, if you don't find daddy. I will try and find him while I work with Cardinal." Velvet simply smiled, "Sweety, he might not even know who you are, and he might not have forgiven me. For this condition to end my beloved must chose another mate. I don't think your daddy will do that, specially after what happened between us."


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The 70th floor was tough, and the exploration of the floor was going slow. They had worked at it for nearly a whole week, when the thing that they did not even considered happen. Kirito stomach gave an unmistakeable growl. Even monster began to snicker at the sound. "Guess we need to take a lunch break, or you might scare the monsters away!" Asuna joked and Kirito frowned, "It is not my fault, I haven't eaten anything in 5 days." Kirito said indignantly. Asuna could hardly believe it, "You idiot, don't you pack a lunch?" Kirito took one look at her and asked, "Why? In case I need charcoal for the camp fire. My cooking skills might kill me first!"

"Well I guess it can't be helped, but take your gloves off." They both sat down, and he picked something from the inventory. A basket appeared, "I knew something like this would happen so I packed a light lunch." She handed him a sandwich. He began eating his sandwich and wondered why did this taste so familiar. Last person he once shared a meal with was Velvet. He frowned at the memory on how they broke up. "What you don't like the taste or what?"

Kirito looked at her, "No, the lunch is delicious. Just some bad memories of someone who hurt me pretty bad." Sachi and the other former Black Cats had told her after a floor boss meeting what their guild had done to Kirito. "Memories of the Black Cats?" She asked him, he simply answered, "I don't waste my time remembering them. No, it was someone very close and it cut much deeper."

Kirito finished his lunch and waited on Asuna, "Kirito why do you wear such light armor? don't you have something to protect you better?" Kirito looked at her, "My blacksmith skills are pretty good these days, but I can't finish the gear I want. The black armor I want use 10 onyx crystal ingots and 10 shadow wolf pelts. I have the pelts, but the crystal has an expiration time of a few hours in open air. I still need the chest, helm, and gauntlets. I can finish one, but the onyx crystal ingots would simply disappear by the time I finish it. It took me 2 months to collect, that would be such a waste."

Asuna looked at him, "Why not ask a friend to help or better yet. Join my guild. We have blacksmiths that would be glad to help if you did." Kirito looked at her not even smiling, "Agil could probably help me, and for the last time. I am not joining a guild if I can help it. I do not need the dead weight and having them be another Black Cat incident." Kirito got up and began walking away. The thing the that guild did to him must have hurt more than he is letting on.

She put the basket in the inventory and walked fast behind him. The floor boss room was there for all to see. He pushed the door and saw a huge monster with horns and golden eyes. The golden eyed fiend was the monsters title. Kirito could hardly contain his surprise. He simply ran towards the monster and the fiend ran towards him once he saw who it was. They both gave a huge growl, Asuna believed that they would begin the floor boss fight. But what idiot attacks a boss alone like that. Oh wait this is Kirito she was with. She got her rapier ready to back him up.

What Asuna did not expect happened, The monster picked Kirito up and they both hugged. What the growls were was clear to every monster 20 feet way to understand. The fiend shouted son and Kirito said dad. After such a long time he was meeting his monster father, and his father was seeing his long lost son. The worry about his eldest son was clear.

"Son why do you look like a puny invader? Where have you been you know you left without even saying good bye to the King and your subordinates. Your mom has been worried sick about you!" Kirito looked at his dad and smiled, "I had no choice. I was forced into this form after the Beta you know I told you about that! But how can I get that invader to understand what we are saying. Look at her she is pretty freaked out." Korito looked at the female invader. "I am surprised that you haven't marked her, she is your mate right son?" He looked at his father blushing,"No. She is just a friend. You know as well as I do what happened with my mate long ago!" Korito was laughing. "Just tell her to come over here. I will bite her and she will learn the language just like I did to you when you were a baby." He still remembered the pain, but there was no other way.

"Asuma put that rapier away and let this guy bite you!" Asuna was looking at Kirito after he said that. The fiend had hugged him and now he wanted her to let it bite her. **"Are you out of your mind! Why would I let that thing eat me?"** Korito was heard snickering, "Boy she reminds me how your mom was when we started dating." Kirito simply could not believe his dad would take the situation so lightly. "Trust me, this guy will not kill you. You will understand him and most monsters if you do it, so come on and put out your hand. "Hope mom doesn't get mad." Kirito was telling him. "Ah, don't worry so much she would do it too if she saw her and you together!"

Asuna simply walked over to the fiend and held her hand out. It happened in an instant, but the pain took hours to stop. "So young lady, I take it you understand me?" Asuna gave a nod. "My name is Korito, the boss for this floor. You already know my eldest son Kirito. Good thing your mom and brother are not here. My wife would want you to mate this pretty young lady, and my youngest son would be absolutely jealous of you." The surprised look on her face was priceless.

The trio sat down on the boss room floor, "So let me get this straight, you are his son. You understood what monsters were saying all along. And there is a whole other Aincrad besides the one we know off. You idiot! Why did you not tell this to anyone?" Korito interrupted, "Because as captain of the royal guard Kirito has taken a bow of secrecy. He can only tell you because I gave you that bite. I pretty much made you an honorary member of our clan. Which reminds me Kirito why are you wearing that junk and not your Shadow wolf plate armor?" Kirito looked at his father with a blush of embarrassment. When the Beta was over I lost my official captain uniform. I been trying to remake it, but you know how tough that is using invader tools." Korito laughed, "Is that all? You did not lose anything. I have it, and your blades too. I am pretty sure twin fangs will be happy to be held by you again." Korito simply took a rather large box, with a intricate symbol on it. He touched it and the items can to lay on the surface of the floor. As he began to picked them up and placing them he began to remember all his missing skills. Trap making, hiding, detection, command, and lastly the eye of the beast.

He finished putting all the armor and weapons. Asuma could hardly believe this was the same Kirito he looked absolutely stunning, regal and immensely over powering. "Now that is what my son should look like. Now how about we have our floor boss fight so this old man can retire and then we can take your pretty young girlfriend to meet your family and see where you grew up." Kirito did not like the teasing tone of his father.

With this his skills back to what they were he could finish this fight without even trying to hard. "Sure thing dad, get ready to retire. Today is the last day for you to be floor boss!"


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

If anyone had been lucky to see the fight other than Kayaba it would be a sight to be sure. The fighting between the two fighters are coordinated, the word teamwork would not do them justice. Asuna fought as if to protect someone and Kirito did as well. To Korito it was what he wanted to see, what every father wished to see. His son found a true mate, and he was fighting along side him. In all the years in his post he had never had a tougher fight, and as he was defeated he came up with the idea. Maybe his mom and I can finally open his eyes to what I am seeing.

The boss fight for the 70th floor was announced over and the next floor portal was now open. Kirito looked exhausted, and Asuna looked at him with concern in her eyes. "Kirito are you feeling alright? What you told me that was someone you considered your dad. Are you sure you are alright?" Kirito was surprised by the almost heart felt concern, "He is fine, he should be at the monster town right about now. But why do you feel concern for me?"

Asuna hit him on the arm. "How can you possibly be so blind, can you tell what I feel? Do you remember me cooking for anyone? Do you think I let anyone in my home?" Kirito could seem to answer that. If it happened it would make the news, or simply gossip. "I cook for you and want to be with you for obvious reasons. Are you truly that dense that you can't tell?" Kirito was not sure how to respond, it was a word that got caught at the back of his throat. Who would imagine that 4 letters were so hard to say out loud. Was it fear or was it the memories of what happened to the person who said the same thing.

Asuna was upset, and was now totally blushing and tired of waiting for him to answer, "I love you, you knucklehead. Can you imagine what is is like loving a person and never even being able to tell him!" That was the thing that made him lose his supposed fear. Velvet had told him the same, but she had broken his heart. Would Asuna be the same. He did not care he had to admit that he too had fallen for her, but he did not say simply took her in his arms and kissed her deeply on her lips. It was a passionate kiss, and it was one that Asuna was more than happy to return.

Well I guess the only thing he needed to do was to walk towards the secret pathway. He asked Asuna to help him get to the wall. He placed his hand on the wall and tapped it in a strange way. The wall moved and a portal appeared. He decided to go to the 70th floor town. But things were different. Instead of NPCs the town was full of different monsters. Monster townspeople, shopkeepers, merchants, blacksmith, all the things you expect from a normal player town.

He saw a much smaller version of the golden eyed fiend. He looked pretty big, almost as big as Agil. "So you decided to finally come home with her! Well son let me meet my future daughter- in law. Oh come on don't be shy!" How in the world did his dad figure that he would feel about Asuna in that way. "Well I just told him, and he accepted. So I am more like his girlfriend, but if he asked I would gladly be his wife!" Asuna told Korito while he was laughing. "So I was right! Come on lets go you really need to meet Yuhina. Your mother is going to be one happy monster!"

Kirito did not even make a single word he simply followed, "Well I guess he was being forced by fate, he might as well ask her in front of his mother. That would either cause his mom to jump for joy or faint. He hoped that she would not faint. Korito, his son and Asuna walked to their modest home. "Sweety, you would not believe what the wind dragged in!" Yuhina was the same as her husband but with silver eyes. "Well if it isn't my little boy. Kirito come give mama a hug!" He did give her a hug, "Oh but that is not all!" Korito continued. "He brought his bride to meet you!" Asuna could tell there was a teasing tone to his voice. "So you are the one that would be my Kirito's mate. Let me ask you something do you love him enough to be faithful to him?"

Asuna did not know where the question came from but she did know the answer. "Yes, he is my one and only. I will be his and only his for as long as I should live." Yuhina was happy to hear the conviction and dedication behind her replay. "Well, welcome to the family. If only that idiot son Keroto would find himself a mate too. I would have my two boys taken care off."

Asuna asked who Keroto was and Kirito told her he was his younger brother. He had blue eyes. Korito told his son that his brother made floor boss on a higher floor. The father and son talked about how his life had been, and the mother and Asuna talked about how Kirito had been to her, and seeing baby pictures. Kirito had been sure that he had destroyed those. Yuhina laughed and said that she kept copies in secure places in case of accidents. As the two slept in each other arms in his old bed in his old room something happened, he felt the need to touch her, and she felt the same thing. It happened as they kissed again, and the touching and the feeling got hotter and more intense. Before they knew it they were making love, and in the throws of their final moments he bit her on her breast right above her heart. Happy, exhausted, and feeling a sense of oneness they fell asleep. Velvet felt it too, the curse that plagued her only could mean Kirito had decided to mate and the mate had accepted him. She was a little sad, but at the very least she would live a little longer. As Asuna slept Kirito's parents looked at her sleeping next to their son. "To think that this would happen in his old bed. Talk about strange. I guess the mark will appear tonight. I better go to bed and get ready to make a big celebration breakfast." Said Yuhina as he smiled at her mate. A strange symbol was forming where Asuna received the bite from Kirito.

In terms of monsters they would know she was his mate, but that did not stop Asuna from dreaming of the marriage ceremony on the player side of Aincrad.


	12. Chapter 12

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The next morning was supposed to be a quiet, peaceful, and most importantly restful time of the day, well to say that the family of monsters that Kirito considered his home was surprised would be a sever understatement. First thing Asuna saw when she awoke was Kirito sleeping right next to her, and the way he was holding her made her remember the previous night. She was happy to share such an intimate moment with him. But the she realized that something was feeling out of place. She looked at her breasts and saw that they were not only bigger but there was this big crest on one of her breasts. She did the only thing a person could do in these situations. She yelled really loudly about what in all heavens was that thing on her chest? How could she ever fit in her armor?

Kirito was awoken by a panic stricken Asuna. Well Kirito tried his best not to look to surprised, if you could see in his mind the thought that ran through his mind was boy was he lucky to have this lovely lady be his mate. But the happy thoughts were interrupted when 2 people burst into the room. First was Korito asking what was wrong? This was a bad idea, Asuna had nothing on, no night gown, no sleep wear. She was only in her birthday suit, and when she saw Korito the only things he could see was stars. She picked up a lamp near their bed and threw it at him screaming the work pervert.

Yuhina understood exactly why her son's mate would react that way. She simply told them good morning and decided to try and pick up her injured mate off the floor. "Well once you are done getting dressed and eat some breakfast we can have your clothes modified. Not to worry you can use an old robe of mine for now." Asuna looked at the monster lady that was not technically his mother-in law. She sure is not reacting to badly to her being with her son.

After breakfast she tried the old robes, they were not that bad. Silk, leather, and some rune crafted into it, the thing was very practical, easy to move in, and not too bad to look at. She wondered where Yuhina got it. She simply joked that those robes were the last thing she ever used before becoming mate to the love of her life.

The day began with going to a few different merchants. Blacksmiths, Rune Experts, Seamstress and a few others. It turned out that Asuna needed a whole knew set of gear. While they walked Yuhina told her about the changes that came with being mated. She understood some as she saw how her body changed, and when she looked at the remains of her favorite rapier. She grabbed it a little too strong and it had shattered. Only the sheath was left and she did not feel right without it.

The Knights of the Blood Oath seemed to provide a texture application ability for their officers. Asuna bought a new rune reinforced armor set and she simply touch it and imagined the pattern of her uniform. The armor immediately took on the same color scheme. The blacksmith had been happy to make a sale of this caliber, but she was not happy to see that Kirito was now mated.

It was no secret to the family that the former craft expert of the royal guard had a massive crush on Kirito. She crafted all his gear that he was now wearing again. But there was a small thing to be happy about. This means that Velvet also knew of this development. Her curse condition would have lifted. On the one side she was happy to see the former vice captain of the guard would live longer, on the other after she had cheated on Kirito in such a shameless way she believed she did deserve a few more decades of pain.

Keroto was nowhere to be seen, it was expected he was a floor boss after all. But how would the guild react when they say Asuna, that was an idea that kept bugging her and Kirito. The added stats and change in marital status would definitely rub a few people in the wrong way. The face of Kuradeel scowling came to her mind. Yuhina did her best to explain. When a couple becomes mates, the mate with lower physical strength would grow to match the other mate. This was an indication of their physical bond. But there was a negative to it, if one of the mates ever willingly, and knowingly cheated on the other mate, the mark would disappear from view and the reverse would happen. How you grew strong when mated, they would become weaker after they cheated. This was done by a curse, and the curse would be present until the other mate found a new mate, or until it lead to the cheating mate's death.

To monsters specially monsters like Kirito and his family being faithful was a matter of life and death. She could remove the mark only within 1 week of it appearing. After that the only way was cheating, and the pain of the curse's effects made that a suicide. So if the couple had any second thoughts it would be better to consider it during that 1 week. Asuna simply took her mate's with hers, and smiled. "Kirito is the only man for me! There is no way that I would ever want this to end!" Korito's turn to make them question that resolve, "What if Kirito had a previous mate and he had a child with her? Would you still feel the same?" Asuna punched him in the shoulder, and grinned, "If that child is Kirito's I would welcome that child as my own!"

Yuhina was happy to hear that, she ended that sober discussion with the telling of the tragedy that had happened to Kirito. Kirito and his vice captain had been mates too, but the vice captain was a pretty young lady, and she liked to have fun. She was always friendly, almost flirtatious to some of the members of the guard. One day she did the most despicable thing a mate could do, she cheated on Kirito, knowing full well that the man was doing it to insult, and ridicule his captain. Kirito the very next morning he walked into his quarters to find Velvet and her new lover sleeping in his bed. "Well Captain since you are too busy with your duties to keep your mate satisfied in bed, I did you a favor! You can find yourself a new mate, cause this one is mine now!"

The Red King knew of this from the other guards and he immediately removed her from the guards, and saw that the curse was placed. The man who was the one who slept with his mate, he was made to fight a duel to the death against Kirito. In his armor he stood in all the horror and dread that his monster adult form could cause. He won that duel under 1 minute, and the creep begged for him to spare his life, Kirito ended his life without saying a single word. 3 days later he disappeared from Aincrad and Yuhina and Korito feared the worse.

Those fears were now cleared, and seeing their eldest son alive and well was making both happy. But seeing that their son had healed from the injuries his previous mate caused him was truly a thing to celebrate. As both Asuna and Kirito walked though the portal to return to what monsters call Invader Planes. She told Kirito that no matter what happens she would always stand by his side.


	13. Chapter 13

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

To say that people were wondering how Asuna changed her physical appearance would be no surprise. They wondered how the doctors would react to those changes. They even wondered if the chances happened to her body lying in that hospital bed where she had been moved.

Kuradeel was the first to look at Asuna in her new gear, and Kirito in his new gear. If he was mad he was doing a marvelous job in hiding it. He simply walked up to the pair, that had been holding each other like a couple would. "Excuse me, Asuna-sama. But I have come to deliver a message from Heathcliff-sama. He has requested an audience with this particular beater. I have not been informed of the reason why or what the subject would be discussed. However he did make it clear, that you were to take him to headquarters immediately. Now if you will excuse me. I must return to headquarters to await you orders, Asuna-sama." Kuradeel simply bowed and left towards the portal.

"This can't possibly be good. I wonder what could your guild master want with me?" Asuna could not imagine it either, but the way Kirito mentioned that question it was clear that he had suspicions about what the main topic of discussion was going to be. The idea was a discussion but somehow he felt like he was going to be lead into a fight. As both used the portal to teleport to the floor where the headquarters were there, they were met by not 1 but 5 of the executive officers. They told the pair that the council was there to escort them to the meeting with the guild leader.

Kirito did no buy it for one second. As they walked some of them gave Asuna some not so gentlemanly looks. This of course was seen by Kirito, and they stopped when they heard the unmistakable sound of teeth grinding, and a look of sheer murder on his face. Asuna was quite pretty, and to some the definition of cute. The look Asuna had was sort of more sexy than cute. Some of the people escorting them began to think that figure could make a saint think of doing intimate things.

The pair where lead to the guild council room, and there he was sitting almost like a king. Heathcliff was sitting and waiting for everyone to take their seats. "So Asuna, Kirito I believe congratulations are in order. Oh, don't give me that surprise look. Your status as mates is clearly mentioned on you status window Asuna. Not a traditional status, but I do believe it makes the situation easy to understand. You are both wondering why these officers went to escort you, and why you were called. I feel that a re-evaluation of my executives officer is needed,and with the change in status of my vice commander of the front assault forces. I believed that it would only be prudent to evaluate her mate, personally. I will publicly support your union if you fight a tournament against all the officers present here today, with the exception of Asuna. If you win I will pay you enough money to be able to purchase a home near headquarters. This will be done to ensure that Asuna will still be able to continue her duties."

Kirito looked at his and simply asked the question that was obviously next. "What happens if I lose?" Heathcliff knew that he would ask that question. "If you lose you will join the Knights of the Blood Oath, and depending on how much of the tournament you finished you will be granted a position that will be befitting of someone of your talents." Asuna wanted to dismiss it at once, if he fought the guild master Kirito was going to lose and badly. But before she was able to Kirito smiled, "Fine, be sure to have my col ready. Cause I am not holding back at all. And if some of you die you asked for this. I will not hold back, and I will show no mercy. So be ready cause I am!"

As Asuna and Kirito left they said nothing to each other. But as soon as they were in her living room she yelled at him, "You idiot! If you fight you know that they will make you join! Why avoid being in a guild, only to be put on the spot like this! I could have dismissed the challenge, but no you just jumped at the chance to fight!" Kirito could clearly see the worry on her face, "I have to do this, If I don't your fans within that guild will not leave us have a moments peace, or any privacy." Asuna knew that he was right but that did not make her worries to go disappear. Asuna looked anxious as she asked the next question. "Well since we can't do anything about the tournament, I have one thing to ask you. Do you plan to go to that dump you call an apartment or will you stay here with me?" Kirito was not happy to hear someone call his home a dump, but he had to let it go to tell her what he would like to do. "Can I stay here with you, cause I think I should be well rested for those fights that are going to happen soon." Asuna walked over to him and kissed him with all the passion she could muster. "Of course you can stay, you are my mate after all. I don't think you will get much rest tonight. We do have to see if that bed can withstand both of us on it. I really find it hard, not to want some more of what we did in your old home bedroom." There was nothing that he could do but to walk outside and she followed. As they were outside he surprised her by carrying her back in through the threshold in an unmistakable way that a groom carried his bride for their first time home. After he went through the door he kicked the door close. He took her to their bedroom all the while she gave him heated looks. "Ready for some exercise my love." Kirito asked as he laid here on the bed, "Ready, able and willing!" was her only reply.

At six in the morning he got a message from one of the officers. The tournament will he held on the arena that was on the floor that the guild headquarters was located at. The tournament will be a series of duels and will start tomorrow at 6 am. He would be considered to have forfeit if he arrived late. A little less than 24 hours and his fate would be decided. He simply replied that it was understood, and went back into bed to get some more sleep with Asuna by his side.

The time of the tournament and what he expected happened, happened. The treasurer of the Knights of the Blood Oath would not miss the chance at selling merchandise, tickets, even posters. The only thing Kirito could think was that he would make Agil business look like he did charity work. The word greedy did not even come close to what he was thinking as he saw the lines of people wanting to buy tickets. He tried to step towards the arena but people pushed him aside as if he was trying to cut in line. That was it, the final straw. He took one of his swords, and changed his gear to full armor combat mode. He looked at the lines and with murder in his stare he stepped forward and yelled at the top of his lungs, **"If you value your wretched lives you will let me through to the arena or I will carve my way though you!" **The people parted like it was the parting of the ocean by Moses. Not a single person was left standing in his way. He simply walked into the arena, and after he did and a collective sigh of relief business continued. The idea everyone buying a ticket had was, god have mercy on the poor guy that fights that.

The tournament was going to be 3 male council members and 2 ladies. The entire council seats were participating and the grand finale was against the guild master. They arranged it so that the fight order would be according to level, so the men would be first and the ladies last. The first poor unfortunate was a guy who was letting his ego get a little to big for his own good. He bragged that he would defeat this dirty beater, to save the reputation of the guild.

As Kirito took this stand and the countdown began he was more than ready. The idiot charged at Kirito as soon as the duel started, he avoided all his hits, and nothing seemed to work on him. The attacks were so for Kirito that he almost seemed bored, when the idiot was breathing pretty hard, he simply stepped forward, "Done? Alright now its my turn." He ran towards the idiot and attacked as the attack came he used his 2 handed sword to block. The sword shattered into polygons and he was blasted far enough to hit the arena wall. The duel was over and 50% of his HP was gone. This ended with the idiot crying about losing his favorite sword. The other people that were next were watching, if they felt that Kirito was going to be easy, well they were wrong. They had better take their fight seriously or they will die here. Heathcliff could hardly hide his anticipation. He was smiling ear to ear finally he was going to have a decent fight.


	14. Chapter 14

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

As Kirito fought one officer of the guild after another, he began wondering several things. first was how did these idiots even survive without proper training? The duels up to this moment lasted in seconds, and 1 of them he got so bored that he decided to fight without his weapons, and still won. This was the toughest officers in the guild supposedly. Little did Kirito know that strength wasn't the only thing that could make a person an officer or even a council member. The first made it into the council because he was head of the recruitment division. The next was head of the supplies and equipment division. The one that he was fighting now looking extremely sure of himself was the head of the finance and investment division. He was also the idiot that sold tickets to this little tournament. He could hardly waste the opportunity of making so much col. There were people that wanted Kirito be beaten for various reason. The laughing coffins wanted him dead, because he killed so many of their members that the group ended up breaking up. The holy dragoons wanted him beaten because Kirito rejected an invitation to join them. Sachi and the former black cats tried their best to apologize, and recruit him but he still told them no. Others because he was seen dating one of the most beautiful girls in all of aincrad, and the opposite was also true many ladies wanted him beaten for not dating one of them instead.

The second thing was why is Heathcliff participating, didn't the man have more than enough on his plate with heading a guild? Heathcliff was considered the strongest player, so it would be clear to everyone that this tournament might as well be called rigged. Even if Kirito managed to defeat the council, the final fight was against the strongest player. This was after back to back duels. The idea was that he would be so tired from fighting the council the leader could make him lose with a feather. The idiot that came up with the plan had no faith in Kirito at all, but what could you expect. The guy was still crying over the loss of his sword after the first duel. But why Heathcliff would participate? Easy, all the fights up to this moment had been boring for him, and he just wanted for once a competent council member to lead the combat division, and a good fight.

The last thing he wondered was what was for dinner? I know why his fighting he should focused. But Asuna practically told him do well and I cook dinner, lose in the first fight and you either pay for what I want or learn to cook it yourself. Half the reason he was finishing the council so fast is because he did not want to learn to cook. Cooking in Aincrad was as boring as watching some monsters eat grass. He had to do good in this tournament no matter what. Skill slots where limited after all.

In the end the last 2 duels decided to fight against him together. these ladies had a bone to pick with him. One was the head of the recon division, she wanted to beat him because of him the guild had to pay for map date, or hear how Asuna for the hundred time managed to get a discount on said data. The last lady was head of the combat division, and 3rd in command of the guild. She knew that if he lost to the guild master after beating her. He would be taking her place on the council. Her pride would not allow that to happen. She was also one of the ladies that Kirito rejected when they asked him out on a date. She was thinking while trying to fight Kirito, look at me, I am strong, beautiful and capable what in the world did Asuna have that she didn't. Kirito after the incident with Velvet had long given up the idea of looking at women just on the surface, he began to look the things beneath the underneath. Asuna was sweet, beautiful and capable. But she had was also focused, courageous, and most important of all loyal.

As the last duel ended a brief recess was called by Heathcliff, they could hardly believe it. Heathcliff told them in no uncertain terms that this fight would determine the fate of someone. He wanted the fight to be fair. Kirito began to think that the real reason was because Heathcliff was either waiting for some new sword, or he was scheming something. Asuna had gone and prepared a special pick me up lunch for him. The idea that her mate needed a little something for that extra energy suddenly came to mind. Little did she know that she also would also encourage him, by being with him some more.

After 10 minutes the final duel was announced, "Kirito I know that you are strong, but please don't underestimate him. Your dual blade skill is a unique skill, but he also has one too. And his has kept him from ever losing HP below the green zone. Fight this like a high floor boss Kirito, I don't want for you to feel bad afterwards if he wins. His skill is called Holy Sword it increases the attributes of his equipment to really high levels." Kirito knew what she was talking about he had heard the same thing from Argo. "Don't you worry, I will do my best to win and be sure I already know about that skill." He took both his swords in hand, and for the first time in this tournament decided to wear his old equipment set. The equipment he wore as captain of the royal guard. Up to this moment he had been using his player made gear, and 2 monster drop swords. This gear was made by the best monster blacksmiths in service to the Red King.

Heathcliff could hardly believe it, when he gave Kirito the chance of live as monster for being the top beta, he never expected him to succeed in winning the same honor from the monster side. Now that he saw him in that gear, the image came back to him in full force. Captain "Twin Fangs" that who Kirito was all along. His Captain of the guard was the 2nd toughest player. Well this came as a surprise, but a pleasant surprise. In all the time as the Red King then he always sent his orders to the Captain with his servant. His servant had been a beautiful young monster lady by the name Velvet, the captain and this servant were supposed to be quite the item, until the time she made the mistake of cheating on him with his vice captain. The same day she quit the royal guard do to medical concerns. Heathcliff had invented the cheaters curse because he too was once cheated, he hated cheaters of that kind.

As he took his sword and shield he waited for the countdown. "So Kirito I hope you manage to keep me entertained!" He told Kirito as he rushed in the attack and Kirito was sure to block the attack but then he was hit in the stomach by the shield. So he used his shield also as a weapon. He needed to get a little more serious about this fight. The fighting was fierce, the tension and awe of seeing the two strongest fight to what many would call a close draw was something. But this fight was lasting longer than all the others combined. Heathcliff was not expecting anything else from his Captain of the guard. It would do him some good to have him back serving him. The royal guard had never been so efficient and well trained after he took the post. This guild needed some of his tough treatment, the slacker would take a decade to even reach the crimson palace.

Kirito had long abandoned the dual skills and had taken the stance of using single handed skills one with each sword. He believed that this would give him an element of surprise. But as he was about to hit the last hit to win this duel something happened, something was off and he knew something was wrong. Heathcliff moved a little too fast for a player, even a monster as he was about to launch his attack he was hit by his opponent's sword and the duel which had kept every person on the edge of their seats ended. He was face up on the ground. For a second there he was feeling like he was seeing the full body painting of the Red King, but how he did not know, as the image was the last push to cause him to faint. Asuna rushed to his side, and tried to see if there was anything wrong. As Heathcliff left the arena floor you could hardly miss the smile on his face.

In his mind he was laughing like he won the lottery, and with a stoic face he turned around and looked at Kirito once again. "Welcome back twin fangs, I sure missed you. Clean up this pathetic wimps for me Captain." Heathcliff whispered as he saw that Kirito had recovered thanks to Asuna and was looking at him. Kirito was thinking too, "If that is really the Red King, then it could only be one person. Kayaba Akihiko. I need more proof to expose him. Nobody would believe me otherwise."


	15. Chapter 15

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

_To answer some of the things mentioned in the reviews. Kirito as far as I can recall first fell the first clues on who Heathcliff really was on their duel in the anime as to what is going to happen he did technically lose, so the only thing that can happen but I would think that being high ranking would also change the fate of at least 1 player in the Knights of the Blood Oath. Why I placed him in my story as a high member instead of how he was shown, well for two reasons, first to illustrate that Heathcliff actually values his abilities, 2nd to allow a change in how his training mission would or should have gone down, and lastly it would explain why Heathcliff would go to such lengths to recruit him into the guild. The Red King needed him to whip his pawns into shape. _

To say that Kirito was not happy would not be surprising, in fact it would be obvious. There he was on his mate's bed wearing something that in a few days ago he would not wear if his life depended on it. Being the newly appointed Head of the Combat Division he was granted a few abilities. He had a direct line of communication between himself and the members of the guild. 2nd he had a direct access to the members status screens and skills progress list. This had been granted by Heathcliff to see where the troops had to improve. Last but not least he could live with Asuna, without anyone questioning him why he could be with the most beautiful lady that was not an NPC. Some players plain forgot that some of these ladies where not Player. This fact was even proven when a player did not only date an NPC lady, but also married her. He was happy his wife was an equipment merchant, and he had a pretty nice life in her home.

The way Asuna came into their bedroom was almost like he was a student being sent to the principals office. She really was looking down, worried, and really apologetic. "Kirito I know that joining a guild was never your goal, so I am sorry that things ended up like this?" Kirito looked at the ceiling and with a sight, "I am not, there is so many things you can't do alone. There is also the best chance to train the supposed toughest guild to live up to that rep. Lastly do you think I am sorry for having such a wonderful mate? if you think I do then I might have to tell the boss to give you some time off. Because stress would obviously be getting to you."

"Asuna, I get to be with my beloved, and have a decent paying job. Please stop looking at me like that." Asuna saw him looking at her. Asuna was both relieved, and happy. She knew that Kirito had issues with joining a guild, but for the all she knew she did not remember why? Someone that skilled would sure be a catch for any guild. She was happy because he continued to admit that he loved her, was considerate to her, and worried for her health." Asuna got a nearby chair and sat down. "Kirito I need to know something. I don't think we ever went into detail why you hated joining a guild, but if we did I am sorry to ask you again. I just can't seem to remember your answer about it."

Kirito sat on the bed, "Don't worry I don't mind answering your questions as long as you do the same. Let's see why I didn't join a guild before? I did join a guild the guild was a small one called the Moonlit Black Cats." Asuna interrupted, "Wasn't that one that their leader went into hiding because some player killer guild was after him?" Kirito smiled at remembering the fate of the backstabber. Laughing Coffins was not something that anyone would want to have after you. They were the top red guild in assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion. "Well he made himself a target because he decided to foolishly flaunt his new wealth. Well back on topic. The guild was disorganized, the players while good people had horrible training habits. Honestly if I did not try and train them they would all end up dead. I designed a very demanding training schedule. They complained that it was not a training schedule, but the torture schedule for people in Hell. Sachi and I joined together and we were pretty good friends once. I helped her train since the 1st day we were here until we had issues."

Kirito smiled sadly at that, it was obvious that he and her were once close. But he did not give his mate a chance to ask. "I saw them go from a guild barely being able to buy drinks at a bar, to clearing some floor boss rooms. I will look like I am tooting my own horn, but my schedule did wonders. The thing that made it all fall apart was when I found out that the leader took money to buy a really expensive building. This was supposed to be the new guild headquarters. The guild was finally going to have a place to meet, and recruit people. But as I can remember he also did several things that did not agree with me. First he bough the building, but instead of naming the owner the guild he named himself. The guild appeared only as the property listing title. When I objected, the entire guild turned on me. He had told the entire guild that their new training was his idea, and that they followed me because it was their school buddy from the other life had pretty told them too. I felt betrayed, I spent a long time developing that training, and this guy just took the credit for all my work. Then he used money that was supposed to benefit the guild, to benefit himself. I objected, but then the worst happened. Sachi defended him against my accusation. I was told to leave, so I did. From that moment on I was a solo player, never would I allow this to happen again! Hope that answers your question, my sweet."

Asuna's face blushed brightly, "Well this guild is many things but betrayal is something I don't expect from its members. We all need each other to grow stronger after all. That color scheme, I think I can try and get the leader to let you chose your own." Kirito smiled at her, "If you did the days of the guild uniform would be over, and morale would go down. People would want the same ability and bug the boss for it." Asuna simply has to say that was something that could happen. "Why don't you call him by his name? why call him boss?" He simply mentioned that he paid him a paycheck didn't he? Asuna was laughing as after that. He sure did, and not a bad one either. Kirito did not mention to her or chose not to mention to her one detail. It was the same amount he received as Captain of the Royal Guard. One more proof that he was the Red King. He set the pay amount then too.

But for now he needed to train the troops and gain their loyalty. If he had the back of the entire Combat Division he would have a much easier time in exposing Kayaba. He told his beloved mate, that they should try and sleep early today. His day tomorrow was going to be busy. Little did he know how bad it was going to be, but he decided to look for one skill out of his troops. The skill to make poisons, and sure enough there was a few people that knew how to make poisons. It was a useful hunting ability but he saw a name that made him wonder for what else did he use it for, the name was Kuradeel.

As he walked towards his division office, he was greeted by the very lady he had replaced. The former head was now his assistant. The pay was less, and she would have to help the guy that took her job. This was one unhappy assistant. "Well, sir. There is something you need to do for the division. It was an unheard tradition that the new head, would have to follow the orders of the last. The orders are that he take 2 of the top of our division on a little training trip. I think that a lower floor would be a good example of the new training regiment you sent me." What she did not mention that it was also a floor were the favorite hunting ground of the laughing coffin members. This would be a good chance for him to die and she regain her position, so much for loyalty. Asuna wanted to object, but saw that he would be able to take care of himself.

He immediately walked towards the portal where 2 members where waiting. One looked like he did not sleep at all, and the other behaved like a kid on a field trip. "Names and weapon preference." Kirito stepped in his trainer role. "Godfrey, double handed sword sir." Godfrey was nice and disciplined. "Kuradeel, same as the meet head next to me!" He could see that Godfrey and him were in for a long trip. "We will all buy something for our meal, Godfrey you will buy our fruit. Kuradeel you will buy our drink, and I will buy our food since it is the most expensive part." Kuradeel was happy to hear that. "Now next you will keep your healing crystals but you may only use it in case of emergencies. Keep a healing and poison crystal in your quick item slots." There went the happy look on Kuradeel's face. "We will clear all the fields on the 55 floor. It should be a quick and simple training trip. Pkers are to be arrested, and brought before the leader and the council for trial. What are you waiting for? We don't have all day. Move it!" Both the members ran to get the things, he did not. Asuna packed him a lunch with 3 sandwich, he sure had to thank god for him having a mate that could cook like there was no tomorrow.

To Kirito the training trip was more of a lecture, and an incredibly boring one from the sour look on Kuradeel's face. He taught them to be efficient and even though they were pretty decent fighters, he ended up saving them a couple of time. He fixed their careless attitude quickly. Constant Vigilance was the main idea he was teaching, never trust an enemy always watch out. It was mid afternoon when Godfrey asked if they could stop to eat, Kirito did not want their hunger to be an excuse for slacking later. He called a stop and told each to hand each other their portion of the meal, Kirito did first as an example. Godfrey just took the sandwich, but Kuradeel took the time to see if the sandwich had anything thing besides food on it. At least one student was paying attention, even if he did look like he wasn't. Godfrey offered an apple to each, and last was Kuradeel with a jug of juice. He laughed and said that it was a gift to their new division head. He needed to make a good impression. Both him and Godfrey had the look that screamed to late for that.

Kirito had many abilities, but his monster abilities were not listed or known. One was to know if something had a poison on it or in it from touch. He pretended to eat, and drink. He ate his sandwich but pretended to drink juice. Godfrey just ate his food and enjoyed the juice. Kuradeel looked like he won the lottery, as he happily devoured his sandwich. Godfrey fell down, and Kirito knew it was a paralysis poison on the juice. So he pretended to not being able to move, as Kuradeel saw Godfrey try and use the poison healing crystal. He kicked it out of his hand. There was all the proof he needed. He got back up, and pointed his hand. **"Demon's healing touch!" **No one knew that there was such a skill available to players, and there wasn't it was a high monster healing ability. Godfrey was pretty mad at Kuradeel who was sweating profusely. "So Kuradeel want to tell us when you and your buddies going to begin your little ambush?" Godfrey looked surprised, "Gee, your detection skills must be pretty high for you to even see us! I am impressed teach!" Some laughing coffin members came out of hiding. Kirito just look at them with a look of sheer murder on his face, "Now lets dance bozo." The laughing coffins and Kuradeel began their attack.


	16. Chapter 16

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

It turned out that Kirito had been underplaying his actual skills. This came to a sever shock to Kuradeel and the other laughing coffin members present, one was even scared for his life. "This is supposed to be the pompous weakling that cheating his way into being the head of a division. You have got to be kidding me. This has all the marking of a trap, if we make it out of here I will have that witch's head for this. The guy seemed like he has been in combat all his life." Said one of the laughing coffins as he tried for dear life to evade Kirito's attacks.

Godfrey had also lied, much as their new division head ordered him in the letter he received previous night. Godfrey was a good 2 handed swordsman, but he was even better heavy mace fighter. The killers were having a really tough time, he knocked one guy and Kirito moved in for the kill. In a matter of 10 minutes 4 of their most skilled killers had died. A guy who was watching from the cover of darkness quickly noticed Kirito's eyes. "The cruel precision, and lack of remorse as he kills out members. If this situation was different the Guild Master would try to recruit this guy. But we are under contract to have him and any witnesses eliminated."

Kirito was not happy one bit as his hearing picked up every whisper. So the former division head planned this, not even a single day in command and a guild member was betraying him. This was to be expected, some guilds just can't bother doing some background checks can they, or bother to look at the mental health of their officers. It was to much bother, so what if they betray each other. As long as the Guild Master was happy who cares who kills who. That was the kind of mentality that made Kirito sick to his stomach. Some people in the guilds were worse than some so called monsters.

But as half the original number of the laughing coffin members were dead, some began to run away. When they got close Godfrey quickly restrained them. The ones still wielding their weapons were to overconfident to even consider, one even shouted at Kirito. "You bastard how dare you kill my pal, I will get revenge for him!" Kirito began to laugh, a laugh so cold that it stopped every single person and some nearby monsters in place, "So a killer is crying because his killer buddy was killed. Well excuse me if I don't break into tears. If you don't surrender I will kill you just like anyone would kill vermin. Because to me that is what you are, vermin." The only one left holding a weapon was Kuradeel. "Asuna was supposed to be mine, I deserve her. Not some pathetic loser like you! Why can't you and that meat head die already. I had this whole speech about an ambush and you two dying valiantly. The me avenging your deaths. I was supposed to come out looking like a hero for this!" Kuradeel attacks and kept making excuses. He did not even bother trying to attack he simply evaded all the hits. The hits that had been close to hit he deflected them like it was nothing. A child playing against his teacher was the impression Godfrey had as he watched the fight.

40 minutes of trying his best and Kuradeel was on the ground having a hard time just breathing. Fatigue and muscle pain was making it impossible to continue. "If you are quite done, surrender or you might be in for some pain." Kuradeel would not surrender to this punk so he though. Kirito stored one of the blades in the corresponding sheath. He walked to him and with both hands on single blade attacked, the cure hit right above the knee and both legs from the knew down shattered into polygons. Kuradeel felt that and began to scream in pain and began to sob uncontrollably. He got ready to attack but waited to give him a chance to surrender. He did not. Next attack cut at the shoulder on the right and the arm came off. Again he waited, and again he attacked the left side this time. He had could not stand, had no arms and was in massive pain. Just as he was ready to go for the head he screamed, **"Alright, I give up. I am not dying for that bitch. The chick you replaced wanted you out of the way! Please, Kirito show some mercy!" **Godfrey looked like he was given a present. "Looks like we have what we needed, boss. Lets talk these crooks to prison and show this to the leader. I can't wait to see that traitor's face." Kirito simply had him place all the player killers and Kuradeel in a single group. "I have a better idea, lets use a crystal." He tossed at them a crystal and saw Godfrey smile. "Hope you set the location to the prison." Kirito smiled and told him he did, only that they would have a little bit of a surprise for the guards on duty. He sent them to the prison kitchen after all.

He could not keep from laughing as he pictured the look on the cooks face as a bunch of crooks landed sitting on their hot stoves. The cooks did laugh and said that barbequed crook was not on today's menu. But Kirito did make one mistake, he did not use a player crystal but a monster crystal. The crooks did end up on the kitchen of the prison, the monster prison. As they took them off the stove the crooks could not help but to hear one one of the inmates say, Fie, Five, Foe, Fum, I smell the roasted rear end of a human. Getting his knife and fork, the cooks saying in a microphone and was heard in the dining room, **"Dinner is ready, Come and get it!" **Kuradeel and the laughing coffin members were never seen again.

Heathcliff was not at all angry about how the situation was resolved. It was a valuable example, if you betray Kirito like that you would not live to regret it. The former head of the combat division who had been assigned the position of his assistant begged, pleaded, and even tried to seduce Kirito. Nothing worked. Heathcliff was too kind in his punishment and he felt that Kirito's punishment was too cruel. Kirito wanted to assign her a knew duty. Her duty would be cleaner and manager of the order's bathrooms. In other words cleaning toilets. He simply lost all her col, equipment and was tossed out of the guild wearing nothing but rags. Typical guild exile. She promised that when she gathered enough col for some good equipment she would look for Kirito and get her revenge. When Kirito was told he simply mentioned that when that day came it would be her funeral. It did not matter male or female. You attacked him, you die.

Kirito was gaining the reputation of being the trainer that could make monster cry. The training regiment was indeed tough, but extremely effective. Losses from combat had been reduced by 50% and that was only in 1 month. Heathcliff was happy to have his captain back. He secretly began to feel that in a couple of months they would begin to advance in clearing floors. But unknown to his Kirito had begun to also earn the gratitude and loyalty of the guild. It was thanks to him that they could sleep, eat, and live without fear. After all who would fear monsters after enduring a month of his training. There was a collective thought in the guild at night, "Boy am I glad he is on our side!"


	17. Chapter 17

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Asuna was both shocked and amazed at the way Kirito behaved in his position. Her mate had a steel cold look on his eyes, when she dealt with subordinates and excuses. He ordered a pair to kill a thousand monsters using only their blades. This was of course for the purpose to level up their blade skills. In his mind pick 2 weapons and stick to them, the idea of being a master of all weapons seemed cool, but in reality it would not make you good enough to survive. So he accepted no excuses, he did not set a time limit so for him that was kind. The odd thing was that even some marine drill instructors got trapped in this place. Kirito could be right down so hard in his teaching and leadership Asuna could swear that he could have made those drill instructors cry.

Kirito was dealing with a severely unfocused, undisciplined, and down right impulsive group. He needed to be hard, and not allow emotions to come into his decision. This was the only way to make sure these people survived. His training methods began to really pay off for some people that were considered wimps before. The way the lowest members improved made the supposed tough guys look lazy, so they were pushed to improve. 1 month that is how fast it took. But Kirito was done training them and they were improving in more than 1 way. They made the group that was called the army seem like a bunch of lazy extortionist. The people in Aincrad knew that if you want to look at an army the combat division of the knights of the blood oath was a perfect example.

Heathcliff was so happy you could hardly believe the times he just started laughing, and smiling. His little pawn had been whipped into shape, but what else would he expect from his captain of the guard. It was nice having him back in something that was similar to his monster position. He had a few suspicions that Kirito was trying to find evidence to expose him. But that did not matter to him, he was going to exposed eventually anyways. He even went as far as leaving some pieces of evidence in really hard to find places. If he found them, then he would call it rewarding his captain's effort.

Velvet's curse was over, but that did not mean her life was safer, or healthier. Her stats had reduced so much by that time that she could die at any moment. Yui was forbidden from talking to the players, essentially rendering her job obsolete. But the position had an index of all the players, she instead of getting depressed used her position to find her daddy. She needed to find him, it was her mama's final wish to be able to apologize and introduce him to their daughter. She knew that her mama would do that so that she would be safe with her papa.

The activity of a new head of the combat division of the strongest guild caught her attention. She was sure that she saw that armor in one of the pictures her mama had of her papa. She called up her own journal and in it was the picture, sure enough it was the same armor. She set it up so that a pack of wolves attack a farmstead in the 22th floor. She knew this farmstead was the main food supplier for that guild. Having some administrative privileges came in handy sometimes.

Heathcliff sent his 2 toughest members to deal with the situation. When they reached the farmstead the npcs were so happy that they shouted welcomes and invited inside their home. They told them that the wolves attack their lambs at the evening and they were all black with no shadows under them. This made no sense Shadowless wolves were carnivores alright but a lamb would be a snack to them not a meal.

As Kirito waited for the wolves to appear, Asuna stood near him and when she saw them she nudged him. The weird things started to happen. The wolves simply walked up to him and bowed, the lead wolf began to talk. Since she was his mate she understood every word of the exchange. "Captain Kirito, I and my pack have come on the behave of Lady Velvet. She urgently wishes for you to meet with her on a matter of great importance."

He looked at the wolf, and the wolf was a little afraid. "Tell me why I should meet my cheating former mate, and why I should allow you to leave here alive?" The apparent mate of the lead wolf answered, "We have hurt no invaders directly. The farm attack was to get your attention. The reason for the meeting is that she had something very important to tell you before she dies. Velvet knows that you are in your right to deny this meeting, but please it is the final wish of a person you once loved so much. Would you deny her a peaceful end to her life?" Kirito pondered the request, and it was only thru Asuna that Velvet got her wish. She convinced him that it was the right thing to do. He agreed, how could he not agree with the way even his mate was pleading in favor. The wolves took them to a nearby cave, the lambs were there. They had not hurt a single one.

The situation was resolved and the farmers were happy. He immediately sent a request to Heathcliff for some leave from his duties, as he needed to resolve some private matters. The leader agreed but only if Asuna went as well. He got 2 weeks leave of absence more than enough. The lead wolf and his mate led them to the floor where Velvet called her home,which surprisingly was the 22nd floor.

Velvet was bed ridden when they both entered her home. She could hardly believe it, Yui had found her papa after all. "Kirito, I would like to get up and greet you properly, but my condition and stats do not allow me the joy of hugging someone I loved so. I assume the lady next you is your current mate. It is a pleasure to meet you my name is Velvet, former mate of the Captain of the Royal Guard. please have a seat, this will not take long."

Kirito and Asuna sat by her bedside. "Kirito it was true that in a moment of foolishness I accepted one of your brother's many advances towards me. I was so very lonely with you always at the office, and in my stupidity I accepted. I endured the curse ever since, as many stat points you grew the more I lost. It was only you choosing another mate that spared me to meet you. I am sorry Kirito, I should have told you after it happened, maybe if I had been more brave. You could have forgiven me and I would still be able to enjoy your warmth and love. But I did not and my inaction caused me to lose you to another. Please Asuna learn from my mistake, you can't imagine the pain the loss has caused me."

"You are forgiven, and you are correct had you explained it to me I would have done something to remedy the situation. If I had known you were lonely I would have had your living quarters reassigned to mine in the palace. I too suffered a great deal from your act. It was only Asuna that managed to heal most of my broken heart." Velvet understood where he was coming from. It was then that Kirito was pushed out of the chair and onto the floor with a black haired girl hugging him. Velvet gave a weak laugh, "So you couldn't wait anymore more. You should try and be more patient with your papa. Sorry about that Kirito, I guess I should introduce you to Yui she is the child we both brought to this word. Yui this is your papa Kirito, but you already knew that. The lady sitting near my bed is his mate Asuna. She will be your new mother if she will allow it." Asuna hugged Yui and allowed her mate to try and take his seat again. "All I ask is that you spend with me my final 4 days so I can tell you about our child, and can leave this world knowing you will look after the child that our love once produced."

He was a member of the council of the knights of the blood oath, mate to the 2nd in command lightning flash Asuna, and now he had a daughter. How much more could his life change. He wondered what his life had been different had he taken the initiative and moved Velvet's living quarters from the start. But at the time he could not imagine taking Velvet away from her parent's floor or the field of flowers she loved taking care of. How I decision change your life so much for the better or for the worse. He was happy with Asuna, but felt guilty of being absent from his only daughters life.


	18. Chapter 18

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Kirito made sure that Velvets last days had been a relatively happy ones. He got to know about Yui and the question that he needed to ask was who did their daughter take after. Velvet laughed, she joked that she took after both her parents. Kirito began to explain why he did not come home after the incident, she understood why it would be his reasons. She then had a great time telling Asuna about some of the most embarrassing moments she ever had with him. Asuna could only help but to do the same. During the entire conversation it was torture plain and simple for Kirito. When he could not stand it anymore he told Yui that they should let the ladies talk about these thing by themselves. She did follow but not without pouting in a cute way and telling him that she was a lady too.

As soon as they left they began to talk about the really important things. What things was Yui allergic to, when it was her birthday, in what way she approved of her being disciplined, sleeping schedule and studies. The thing mothers worry about their daughters. Asuna believed that much like her she would take good care of their little girl. "So what weapons does she use?" Velvet looked at her smiling she answered, "She uses like me a 2 handed sword. She could not have learned Kirito's style. They only just met after all. She might be young but she is also a mental health specialist. She can diagnose, and treat people with mental problems." Asuna wondered how could she know so much? "Our kids inherit much of their knowledge from their parents. She inherited my job and weapons skills. From Kirito she inherited his detection and tracking skills."

"She will learn some skills as she grows up, but unlike her dad she will have a much longer lifespan. Lets face it choosing to remain in that invader form has reduced his lifespan." Velvet told Asuna who still confused. "Why would you and his mother both tell me that Kirito will live less because he looks like a player?" Velvet began to cough and after a little while she regained her composer. "Asuna, what I am about to tell you is going to seem unbelievable are you sure you want to know?" Asuna gave a nod and waited. "Well Asuna the Red King might believe himself that he invented this place, but he did not. He only invented for ways for the minds of the invaders to be able to appear here and interact with it. When this supposed game is over you will believe that this place is destroyed. But in reality it will continue, you will simply lose the ability to interact and be here. Kirito once told me of the invader tournament prize, to live as a monster so he said. That is not true Asuna. The program recognized something hidden in his own subconscious. His true identity and his own real appearance. I imagine something caused your invented avatar to take the form of your real selves." Asuna immediately remember the mirror. "So how tall is Kirito she asked her?" Velvet tried hard to remember, "Oh, I would say about the size his father is right now. He was such a tall, muscular, handsome male. Sweeter than any candy and more loyal than any wolf clan monster." Velvet had an almost dreamy look on her face. "You still love him don't you?" Asuna told her and she could not deny it. "I always have and more than likely will till the day I am no more." Velvet was both happy and sad. To be so close to her once beloved and be in her situation would do that to anyone.

"Does that mean that this mark has appeared on my original body?" Asuna looked at Velvet almost worried, "Of course it has, along with your other changes. You do remember that your body did change a little don't you?" Well this would cause the doctor to go in a panic, what she remember the first time is that her hips and breast where different a teenager body changing and a strange tattoo appearing on her would sure cause them to panic. "That would mean that in my world there are the same kind of monsters that are here?" Velvet saw the worry and without any effort took her councilor role. "Asuna, I am just guessing. But monsters in that dimension might have long ago abandoned their real forms to fit it with your people. Would you not find a horned man 50 feet talk wearing work clothes and a huge tail waiving a little scary? Try to picture Kirito's dad in overalls as a farmer and you will see what I mean." Asuna did see what she was saying. "After a lot of generations people either forgot or they mixed with your kind. It is tragic to go from a lifespan in the thousands to mere decades, but it must have been necessary."

"Well enough about that tell me what you can do?" Velvet asked her, "What do you mean what can I do?" Asuna answered almost defensively. "What are your hobbies for one? I would like to get to know the female that will be mother to one of my greatest treasures after all." Asuna understood immediately, "Reading, cooking, fencing now, and home management." Velvet simply smiled, "Why the perfect little mate aren't you!" Asuna blushed at the comment, "Why are you not in your monster form then?" Asuna asked her she looked sad, "I can't be I too had to assume this invader form. The weight of my real form would have cause me to die months ago. I had to see Yui with Kirito. I had to make sure my greatest treasure had someone to look after them before I was gone." Velvet tried hard not to cry but tears were forming around her eyes. She began to think on how much she had missed Kirito, and how there life would be different has things happen in another way. Raising their child together, growing old, and watching when their child was full grown with a mate and children of her own. That would have been wonderful, but it did not happen.

The final day came, she was breathing hard as Kirito and Yui held her hands. As her life began to come to an end she changed into her monster form. Crimson silky fur and great big green eyes was what Asuna saw. She must have been considered a real beauty much like Kirito's mother in her youth. At the last moment of her life she whispered something to Kirito and he smiled, Asuna asked Yui what she had said and with tears in her eyes she told her, "Be happy my love. I will watch over you two from the afterlife."

As the family goes to the funeral of Velvet, Yui can not help but to cry about the death of her mother. Kirito and Asuna try their best to make her feel better, but what can they do to make her feel less sad about the loss of her mother. Kirito holds his daughter and tells her that he will never leave her, and that Velvet is still there with them. Yui asks her daddy where is her mother if she is there with them. He points directly at her heart. Kirito smiles, "She is in you. She will always be there, and so will I." Yui cries in happiness this time cause of the touching thing her father said to her. "We will always be a family, and trust me Asuna will be a good mommy to you. So smile my little sunshine. I want to see that smile shine." Yui was surprised as he called her little sunshine. That was the way her mommy used to call her. Asuna can help but to be touched by how father and daughter are being so sweet to each other, specially after such a long separation. Kirito behaving like she had known his daughter all her life. Yui timidly asked Asuna one thing. "Asuna, it is alright if I call you mommy?" Asuna did not say a word she just jugged her. "I am your mommy, and we both love you very much. You made my dream come true."


	19. Chapter 19

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

To say the honeymoon was a success was to be expected, but for them to show up to their home with a daughter with them was a surprise. She was really cute too. Boy some guys get all the lucky breaks. He got a good paying job in the top guild, a sexy wife, and an adorable daughter. I mean how lucky can a guy get.

One of his subordinates was not happy, not happy at all. She had hoped that working with him, she could work her way into his heart, and more importantly into his pocket book. Rosalia was a former member of an orange guild. When she heard of Kirito and what department he was being placed in charge she abandoned the Titan's hand in less time it took her to blink. She was able to join pretty quickly because she was an experience spear user with a clean criminal record. It was the experience with her weapon, and being able to use her looks to get ahead that allowed her to be one of the high ranking assistants to Kirito. The fateful day that she met him, she was practically drooling. Kirito was against wasting col in any possible way. So he wore the same armor set, and nobody ever remembered him spending money on just fun things.

The division had some weird ways to have fun. Spending good col on some npc women to have a little action in bed, or spending it on items as gifts to npc women for dates. Kirito was a firm believer that actions speak louder than simple gifts. He never wasted his col. To Rosalia that was something that looked like a feast waiting to happen. If she managed to seduce him. She could manipulate him to get her better gear, and access to his col bank account. So what if she had to sleep with him to do that all the better. She would get lucky in more than one way. But this little plot came crashing down. Kirito had married the vice commander of the guild. She was beautiful before, but right now she believed that she even made her look plain. To make matters worse he had a daughter, Rosalia hated the idea of having kids.

If she could not have him, she would make certain that no one could keep him. She knew that she had to do everything she could to have him for herself. What Rosalia did not have in ethics she had in contacts in orange guilds or the worst of the red guilds. PoH was after all one of her most frequent customers in the past. She could just get rid of the wife, and kid. The widower would be a lot easier prey for her. The main thing was to keep training, and being useful to Kirito. That way no one would suspect her of trying off his supposed wife and daughter. Rosalia did not even bother in keeping her schemes to herself, she did not check for possible was for her own scheming could be recorded, possible surveillance Kirito assigned to watch her actions. She was a former orange guild member, and people do say that once a crook always a crook.

What Rosalia did not know that Heatcliff knew exactly what she was after, he knew all her previous and current activities. He simply had to use a system command and the cardinal system would provide him with a detail report on any thing within Aincrad. He of course knew the real reason Rosalia joined, but lets face it she was also perfect bait to replenish attract members when a few died in fighting the monsters. But if she became a problem she would be dealt with in the appropriate fashion.

Yui was quite happy at her new home, she even started to pick up some of her mommy's habits. She loved to read, and try new things from her mommy's cook books. It seems that this was a particular skill they both enjoyed using, specially now. To them cooking was more that preparing a meal, when each prepared a meal for Kirito they might share similar feelings in different ways. To Asuna preparing a meal for him was an expression of her love for him, the meal also meant that she loved her daughter too insuring she had proper nutrition. To Yui preparing a meal for both Asuna and Kirito was her way to tell her parents that she cared, and a way for her to see how proud they were of her. To the onlooker it was the typical scene of a happy family. Some of the NPC even made a comment that they wished their kids were as well behaved as Yui. She blushed, and Kirito kissed her forehead. "She is my precious daughter. We are very proud of our child." Kirito on his days off was practicing sword techniques with both of them or he was teacher her things that she could not have learned in Aincrad.

At night as the couple slept together, they often wondered if the players could come to this world, could they find a way for their daughter to come to theirs. They simply couldn't imagine life without her with them. Kirito promised Asuna that he would find a way. Little did they know that Yui had found a way to do that. Since she was half monster and half invader in theory she was not constrained by the rules of this world. She could in theory transform her physical structure to data and then transfer to what her daddy called his nervegear. But this was difficult, because she would need to access the cardinal system directly. This means she needed a terminal to use her administrator privileges. But the area where there terminals was guarded by high level keepers. She wanted to be able to stay with her mommy and daddy, but she did not want to risk their lives on it. These were very confusing and conflicting emotions. To Kirito and Asuna she looked like she was confused, and troubled. But being the loving parent's that they were they would respect Yui's personal rights. If she was troubled and did not know what to do. They would simply tell her that either of them would always listen to her problems. But this had to wait till morning. As the family went to sleep, and the moon shines thru the window. They dreamed about how life would be, the parents growing old together as Yui became an adult. She finding love and eventually coming to her parent's home to present to them their grandchildren. It was a nice dream that ended as the old couple hugged a little girl.

The following morning Kirito and Asuna woke up to a wonder smell. It seems that their daughter woke up early so that she could cook for them a wonderful breakfast. As the boy got up and dressed except for their gloves, they walked out to see their daughter was setting the table. Kirito decided to tease his little girl. "Asuna, it seems our little girl is growing up so fast." Asuna joined in,"Well you know what they say, little girls mature quicker than little boys." Kirito looked at her and smiled, "I had a nice dream about her being grown up." Asuna was surprised but she mentioned that she had the exact same dream. Yui decided to get in her own comment. "Well I am not getting married any time soon, so as far as I care you and mommy will have to wait to be grandparents." They ate their breakfast and each talked about what they had planned for today. Kirito was going to start a hunt for the killer guilds and bring a sense of safety back to Aincrad. Asuna was going to rework some of the old guild facilities to be more efficient, and Yui was going to make her doll and a new dress for her. "Well looks like we will have an artisan in the family. I guess she takes after you, my love." Kirito told Asuna. She simply smiled.


	20. Chapter 20

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The very next week an issue came to the desk of Heathcliff, and it was an issue that made it something to check out. It turns out that the facility where the Aincrad Liberation Army had it's headquarters and housed the prisoners also had a dungeon. But unlike most dungeons this one seemed to grow in depth. The higher the players cleared their way to the final boss. the bigger this dungeon grew. Kirito and the rest of the council were told all this, and they were mad, angry enough to want to expose the guild. They share everything equally my eye, said Kirito. If they have sole access to a dungeon that continues to grow. They not only monopolized a possible income and resource source, but also a training field. Furthermore he had received some alarming letters from Klein. He had gone to the first floor to check if anyone would want to join his guild. He wrote that the people had their hard earned col extorted, he believes that the army calls is taxed for their services. This situation had to be investigated, and if the information is correct. They should be exposed, and possibly be criminal charges be placed on them. Kirito was furious, he wanted this to stop and now! Being the Head of the Combat Division made sense for Kirito to be upset. A training field with new monsters provided huge benefit in training their troops. It could also provide better equipment for them and would make them more ready to take on the remaining floors.

Heathcliff of course knew of the dungeon. He just needed an excuse to demand that the rest of the guild investigate the existence of it. This would allow the discovery of the dungeon, without him being exposed as who he really was. The Red King wanted to train his pawns, but he did not want to be exposed. That would simply ruin his schemes. He already knew who to send to make this issue known without possible risks. Kirito and Asuna would go there under the pretense of going on a family vacation. If they saw something illegal they had his permission to stop it, document it and release it to the general public.

Kirito only had one thing to say in the council chambers, "The issue will be exposed, but it the bastards try to kill my loved ones. I don't care how much they beg, heads will roll." The rest of the council was completely in support of what he said. He had the right to protect his family. Some secretly hoped that Kirito would kill the leaders of that guild so they could try and get access to those possible new crafting ingredients. There was a one in Kirito's office that wanted said family dead. When she heard of the vacation, she immediately put in a secret letter to Kibaou he was a high member of the "Army", but Rosalia knew him as the unofficial 3rd in charge of the murder guild laughing coffins. So this would interest him. The loss of his lover just made it more personal. Nobody knew that Kuradeel and Kibaou were in such a private relationship. Kibaou missed him greatly, and this would provide a way for him to get revenge on his lover's killer.

After the meeting he sent the details of his plan to his favorite business owner. He needed some special way to hide their weapons, armor, and made it appear like they were wearing casual clothes. He told him as much as he had been allowed. The dungeon and possible ramifications. Agil was all for it, knew items would do his business a lot of good. He gathered his very best equipment crafting players and began to work on the problem. It took then less than 2 hours to design, create and deliver the charm bracelets. It was ingenious the way it was designed. But Agil only made 2 and had the designs destroyed, and the people sworn to secrecy. The design could be used by a criminal and so he did not want it to fall in their hands.

Kibaou received the details of Kirito's mission threw an item disguised as a monster drop in a trade. The only thing she needed was to put the message as the item description. Rosalia made it quite clear, kill only his female companions if she learned that something happened to him. She would hunt him down through all her contacts, and Kibaou knew they were extensive. PoH himself would kill him for a chance to be with her again.

Kirito, Asuna and Yui went to the first floor start city. They arrived and everyone including NPC believed that they were a family from another floor on vacations. They began walking in the plaza, sight seeing. Kirito and Asuna told Yui about their time at this city. Kirito told his daughter of his favorite hunting grounds. She sure liked the idea of hunting with her family. She wanted to see how her daddy and mommy fight. They registered to a local inn and the NPC manager was happy to see her once guest look so happy. Asuna introduced her to the family, "Alice, this is my husband and my precious little girl. Family this is Alice she is the manager of this Inn." They both bowed and replied that it was a pleasure to meet each other. Kirito took accepted the key to their room and decided to go to the room.

The room as actually pretty big, it had 2 beds and a small living room. On the nightstand was a list of food items they could order using the list. "I guess we need to question the NPC and players to find out about the taxes, and the truth behind the dungeon underneath Black Iron Palace. If we are lucky we can get the info in less time than we need." Yui look surprised and asked, "Why the rush, daddy?" Asuna knew why, but she let Kirito tell her. "Yui, this city is liked by many people. People who want to wait for someone else to defeat the Red King. They will be released from this place and they can go home. I know that doesn't mean much sweety, this is your home but to them it is a prison the Red King trapped them in. Then there are the worst people, the orange and red invaders. They like this city because it would mean easy targets. Some even like it because they want to find a way to release their criminal friends from the prison in black iron palace. We need to finish this quickly because your mommy and me put a lot of people there. They will want revenge and are not going to stop to try and hurt you." Kirito looked worried, but Yui simply slapped her hand on her chest and said, "Let them try I am the daughter of the Crimson Eyes Fiend. I am no weakling!"

Both Kirito and Asuna laughed as they saw their daughter act like that. There family began to walk towards a big chapel they remembered. That is when it happened. A group of players in the "Army" were chasing a young busty looking nun, and a few children. "Hey, You might as well stop you are running towards a dead end!" one of the players chasing them said. As they reached the mentioned dead end they nun and kids where trapped. Asuna and Kirito with Yui on his back listened in on what was happening. "Alright, you are due to pay your taxes. You owe a lot. So everyone take off all your gear, and you will pay the difference with your body!" The bastard was going to take all their gear and demanded to have sexual intercourse with the nun. That was the last straw they both jumped over the "Army" players. "Guys put your items back on and step back. We got this." Said Kirito. "Kirito take care of Yui, I got to get rid of the garbade." Said Asuna with a menacing look on her face. The young nun simply asked if she was going to be safe. "Asuna is going to be fine, Isn't that right Yui?" Yui smiled and looked excited, "Yea, mommy is super tough. She is going to beat them up good!"

"You should step aside you are obstructing official business of the Aincrad Liberation Front!" The leader told her. She did not wait a second before taking touching her bracelet and releasing her weapon. She attacked him which sent him falling on the ground. The look on his face was of sheer panic. "Oh, don't worry you are in a safe zone. Your HP will not deplete. But that does not mean that you don't feel the pain. You wanted to force yourself on that nun. For that I will teach you a new meaning to the phrase in a world of pain. Your equipment will break and you will beg me to stop but you will run away, crying and lose all your armor! Mark my words you will pay for your behavior." The group of crooks saw her face and they knew that she was not kidding. The only way for them to save their gear was to do something they never had to do. They did the act that every player in the future called, the cowards waterworks run. They all left crying their eyes out, running like the devil was on hot on their heels.

"Oh, well they were pushovers. What a sheer disappointment." Asuna mentioned as she again touched her bracelet and the rapier disappeared once again. "See I told you my mommy was tough!" Yui told the other kids, and they began to all laugh really hard.


	21. Chapter 21

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The people that they managed to protect were indeed grateful, they provided them with a meal and nice cup of juice. It was only that the kids in the orphanage probably at what they gave them for the entire day. The kids were fed, but not to what you might say not suffering from hunger at the end of the day. The nun's name was Silvia, and she was also happy that those thugs had not done something horrible to the kids or her for that matter. Kirito did not like the way things were, and Silvia explained that any money they received the "Army" would just jump at the chance to take it, with the excuse of taxes. "But don't they have an exclusive dungeon underneath their headquarters?" asked Asuna. Silvia looked surprised that someone from another floor knew that. "That is common knowledge here on this floor, but no body tells anyone in higher floors. They don't want the orange guilds or the Knights of the Blood Oath learning about it. If the orange guilds knew they would be constantly attacked to steal things from them. But if the knights knew they would demand free access for everyone. This would severely limit their income, and their officers like their creature comforts." Silvia explained. "They are responsible of managing the prison. What comforts are we talking about?" asked Yui. Kirito told his daughter to go outside and play with the kids, but to make sure to protect them. Yui was happy to go out and play. "Sure thing, daddy. I will keep the meanies away!"

As they where left to talk about it, Silvia blushed as she started to talk to them. "The management of the prison is a lie. They use the prisoner as slave labor to get resources from the dungeon beneath their headquarters. This tends to cause the prisoners deaths, but they don't care. Desperate players will do a lot things that they normally wouldn't out of sheer hunger. The comfort that the officers enjoy is that they use the extra resources to make their living quarters extremely nice, and the shameful part they hire starving players to service them sexually. Some of the officers have their own private harem, made possible by the heavy taxes."

A young woman walking towards them from the entrance to the orphanage heard it all. "I would normally would like to say that is not true, but even I know that is true. The days of the Aincrad Liberation Front being a noble minded guild all went down hill when a player named Kibao joined us. My name is Yulier one of the officers, I would like to talk to the people responsible for the incident that happened with our men earlier." Kirito stood up and started to hold his blades. "Now there is no need for that. I am not hear to fight. Far from it I came here to thank you for your actions. I also find myself in need of powerful players for a personal matter."

Yui appeared running towards them, almost breathing hard. "Daddy, some lady sneaked into the church. I was having fun with the other kids. I am sorry, Daddy." Kirito relaxed and walked over to her, patting her head he told her that it was alright. "My name is Kirito, this is my lovely daughter Yui, and the love of my life who is currently sitting is Asuna. I believe you already know Silvia the matron of this orphanage." Kirito took a nearby chair and allowed her to sit first then he sat down. She thanked him. "I would like to ask you how is it that you are so powerful and what is your guild so I may thank your guild master." Kirito looked at Asuna and she nodded her head. "I am head of the combat divison, and my beloved Asuna is the vice commander." They both deactivated their bracelets. For the first time she saw what he was going to grab. The two swords were impressive. "As you might know from our uniform we are from the Knights of the Blood Oath. Here on orders to investigate the possible player abuse on this floor, and the existence of the dungeon beneath your headquarters." Yulier began to laugh really hard, now it made perfect sense. "It was only time before your guild found out about it. That idiot Kibaou believed that he was keeping your guild and others in the dark." Asuna simply told her that the truth always comes out eventually. "You can not hide the sun with your thumb after all." Kirito mentioned and made Yui laugh.

"This makes matter much easier, indeed I want you to expose the existence of the dungeon, and what is happening in the prison. The matter however is more severe and personal. The guild master Thinker is trapped in the very dungeon you want to know about." Asuna looked surprised, "Thinker was always a kind, trusting and honorable person. Kibao arranged for them to meet in private in the dungeon. He requested for him to go unarmed as a show of good faith. But he left him down there alone, and is now pushing to take over the position of guild master. You heard and seen what happened with him as an officer can you imagine the damage he could cause as it's leader?" Yui looked at her more closely. "You should tell my daddy and mommy everything. Crying would help too." Asuna asked her daughter what she meant then she told her that Yulier was trying very hard not to cry. Yulier stopped trying and tears that had been held back began to flow. "The guild master is my husband. He had been trapped there for so long with no food, water, surrounded by monsters. Some of the others want to give up looking but I can't! I feel like my life is a living hell thinking on the horrors my beloved is suffering and I can't do a thing about it! Please you two are strong, please I beg you help me save the man I love!" The parents could not help but to feel this was a trap. They were willing to believe anything was possible to keep something so damaging a secret. Yui told her mommy that it was alright, she could tell that Yulier was very distressed by the condition of her missing husband. Asuna believed her daughter she was a consular after all.

"Well today is obviously too late for us to go, but early in the morning we will go with you to the dungeon. Now we need to return to our room and get things ready for a rescue mission as well." The family left as they came in. Her daddy and mommy turned on the bracelet before leaving the room. Yulier and Silvia talked about what they had endured by the actions of Kibao and his thugs. The couple was getting some healing items ready, emergency rations, and some teleport crystals ready. They had to be ready for anything. "Kirito what do you think will happen when this info gets to the council?" Kirito laying down on the bed looked at the ceiling. "My guess is that the big guild leaders will meet with the council. They will more than likely call for either the end to the "Army" and have the moral members join an existing guild. The management of the prison would be granted to someone everyone trusted, but strong enough to prevent break outs." Asuna took her place next to Kirito, turning to her side she embraced him. "We will deal with it when it happens, for now lets sleep. We have a long day ahead of us."

The very next morning the family was greeted by Yulier. She asked if they would want to leave Yui with Silvia it was a dangerous place they were going to after all. Both parents laughed at the notion. "You might rethink that after you see what my little girl can do! She is a warrior and you will see that for yourself." They walked to a secret entrance to the dungeon and saw a room full of really tough monsters. Much tougher than she believed she was able to kill. "Alright Yui, this should be a nice warm-up for you. Go on and enjoy it, next one is mommy and then mine!" Yulier was going to say something to stop her, but she saw the sheer look of joy on Yui's face. Yulier watched as Yui alone cleared an entire room full of monsters. "See what I mean, and that was nothing." Kirito told Yulier. He was right if this was nothing, then rescuing her beloved husband would be a snap. "Kirito, Yui how many times do I have to tell you not to underestimate the enemy?" Asuna asked as she was worried about her family. "One more time than the last time we went to the dungeon. Relax, Asuna. We now what we are doing. It was just to ease Yulier's worries after all." Asuna understood, but she did not want to be caught unaware of a possible trap.


	22. Chapter 22

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Kirito was having an absolute blast. Here he was against overwhelming odds and he had the perfect excuse to let go of all the restraints and restrictions he had placed on himself. He could never let go and use his skills to the maximum of what he could do. He always needed to hold back, never show what he was capable off. The idea was to make any hidden red or orange player fall into a fall sense of superiority. To catch the enemy unaware was the best strategy to deal with an enemy like that. In truth he never trusted Rosalia at all. But the old saying always proved to be true, keep your friend close, but your enemies closer. He was slowly collecting evidence of her criminal activities, but her communications with the criminal guilds gave him the information that was in immediate need. The locations of the criminal guild headquarters. This proved to be invaluable as to slowly but surely bring down every single criminal guild. He wore a white armor and helm with a sword and shield. It had an almost angelic look to it. Using this armor he hid his identity he was called the avenging angel. This player would suddenly show up to a criminal guild headquarters and arrest or kill all the leadership of the guild. This cause in effect for that guild to be thrown into complete disarray. In the chaos he arrested everyone else. For this sole reason had Rosalia been allowed to remain out of prison, her unwilling and unaware aid was her only real worth to Kirito.

Asuna and Yui were smiling and even Yulier was looking at them in sheer surprise. "Aren't you going to help your husband Asuna?" Asuna simply laughed, "Help him? and ruin his fun? Oh, trust me if he was in need of help I would jump in there, but right now he is just cutting lose and having fun. You haven't seen him fight seriously yet." Yui added to her comment, "My papa is super strong, these weaklings are nothing to him. Heck, even I can kill enemies as week as this." Asuna hugged her and kissed her cheek. "That's right, my precious little girl is quite the swords woman. With us as parents what else would she be?" Yulier did not understand how could so many people were still trying to enter into a relationship with Asuna. It was clear as day that Kirito and Yui were her family, and she was completely committed to in this family. She was the loving wife to Kirito and loving mother to Yui. The whole way they interacted it was clear that they were indeed a very happy family. As Yulier was not even paying attention to where she was going she tripped and almost fell down, but as she got up she saw Kirito killing a new batch of monsters. It was then that he saw something strange, why was it that it almost felt like she saw this happen once before. She of course did not remember that she was rescued by Kirito once from a group of orange players that held her for ransom. But it was impossible that Kirito was the avenging angel. He was busy with his duties as a high ranking officer in the Knights of the Blood Oath.

Asuna asked if they were anywhere near Thinker's position but as she was about to look at his position on the map a person shouted her name. It was Thinker in a safe zone, and then she did the most stupid thing ever. She ran like a person running for dear life towards him, and again she made the error of this time activating a trap. A giant reaper monster appeared ready to take her head off with his scythe. Kirito in a rush blocked the scythe and told them to run to the safe zone. He needed get this situation cleared. He looked at the floor level indication and saw they were on the 46 floor and this was clearly a level 79 monster this had got to be an error. As the group ran towards the safe zone it was heard that Kirito was making some horrible noises well all except for Asuna and Yui who just looked at the monster with a look of pity. He was just stunned from the looks of it.

Kirito had decided to talk with the monster, "Ralph, can you please tell me what in all damnations are you on this floor?" The reaper stopped, "Wait a minute you know me? You know our language?" Kirito looked at him with a look of sheer loathing. "Of course I understand you, Ralph you are level 79 you are 33 levels higher than what you are suppose to be tell me why are you here?" The reaper looked at him smug, "And who are you to boss me around?" Kirito took weapons and placed them back in their corresponding place. "Who am I... You dare to ask me who am I.. Very well I have been missing for a little while so I will overlook your insubordination. I am Kirito they crimson eyed fiend. I am the captain of his majesties the Red King's royal guard. To make it worse I am your godfather you ungrateful little runt!" Ralph could hardly believe it, this was his long lost godfather. Did he know that his godmother Velvet was dead? was one of the question in his mind. "If you are my godfather tell me something that only I wold know?" Well that was not an unexpected question. "Alright, when you were a little boy you wore this absolutely hideous all orange clothes, and you would go around making promises that you never kept. You would always scream some nonsense like I promise I will keep my word, Believe it! The trouble you caused made your mother so sick that she had to be rushed to a healer for malnutrition. But if you don't believe me with all that you were still wetting your bed till you were 10 years old!" Ralph stepped closed, "Ok, alright already please no more embarrassing details about my childhood. Have a little pity on your godson."

"Why are you on this floor?" Kirito asked and he looked at him ashamed. "I was on my way to a lower floor, I was trying to avoid most of the people of the villages around here. My wife left me for a younger guy. I just came from the divorce court." Kirito would understand why he was so upset. "No reason to take it out on a defenseless invader is it?" Ralph understood where his godfather was coming from. "I would apologize but I don't speak the invader language. I never understood how you can or even bother. If there was nothing else may I go down the floors to my assigned post? Did you hear want happened to my godmother by the way?" Kirito saw the scythe banish and smiled, "Sure, but try to be professional, as a reaper you appear before top orange and red player. Yes I know what happened I was there when she passed on. Don't worry I will make sure to explain to the lady about it, so behave and send your letters to my family, they will make certain I get them if they can."

Ralph became Kirito's size and hugged him. "I will, and I am really happy to see again godfather. I am sure my parents will be very glad to know you are alive and well." Ralph left Kirito and disappeared from view. He walked to a laughing Yui, and a very embarrassed Asuna. "Well you know kids always trying to play a prank. Do forgive Ralph he simply was having a bad day." Yulier was the first person to ask, "Kirito you understand and can talk the language of monsters?" Thinker did not want to ask it would seem like prying. "Sure, my whole family can why? Is it really that hard to believe? You study monsters as much as my family has it would be weird not to know it." Yui looked at her father it was clearly a bluff, but she agreed on what her papa had said. What really caught her attention was a slab of stone where the women in the group were siting. It was a system terminal, this could be the thing she needed to ensure that she could be with her daddy in the other world.

Waited for Thinker and Yulier to thank Kirito and his family for their help. They promised to always be willing to help them too. As they left via teleport crystals, Yui ran to the stop tablet. She made a keyboard marking appear. She made an alteration to they data around herself and made a perfect copy of her mind to reside in the memory of Kirito's Nerve Gear. She told her father and he promised that somehow he would find a way for the family to be always together. It may take time, but he would find a way for their daughter to be able to exist in both world. Come and go as her parents could. This made Yui very glad, and secretly Cardinal was happy as well. She had secretly helped Yui to achieve her present goal at the very least.


	23. Chapter 23

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

After their rescue was a success they all went to the orphanage to make sure that, there Silvia did her best to give Thinker a full check-up. The only things she noted were malnutrition and lack of sleep. These things were simply to treat. She provided a room for Thinker and his wife, and made sure to cook a specially hardy meal. The only thing that she did say was not to ask where the meat came from. Apparently Kirito had a ton of monster meat, and he gave it to her to help her food supply. After the all ate a healthy, tasty stew one of the kids did the thing he specifically asked them not to do. He asked where the meat came from. He had to tell the kid that it was scavenged toad meat. Asuna was going to ask for seconds, but did not when she heard that. Yui did have seconds, she simply told them that there are worse things to eat in Aincrad.

In a matter of 2 days Thinker had regained some color to his face, and was fine enough to be grilled about how he ended up there in the first place. "Kibaou one of the guild members wanted to have a private meeting, and he chose that place to ensure privacy. He also asked me to go unarmed as a show of good faith. I met him but he was armed, and with several of his followers. He took all my crystals and left me for dead in the dungeon. Somehow I managed to crawl to that safe zone." Kirito was not amused at all. "Do you know about the guild called laughing coffins?" Kirito asked Thinker, he of course knew the murder guild, who didn't. "But what does that band of psychos have to do with this?" Thinker asked. "My division deals with player killers most of the time, so we have a register with the names of all the player killers known. Kibao the person in your guild is suspected of being the second in command of laughing coffins."

The look on both Thinker's and Yulier's face was of absolute shock. They had not even considered that Kibao was a player killer, and not only that. He was a high rank with the murder guild. The place was known to be full of psychos, and their leader had been known to publicly write a memoradum. In it he said that he did not believed that people who die in Aincrad, died in real life. He said that killing players was the quickest way to save the player from being trapped in Aincrad, so he considered player killing to be not murder but salvation. Kirito explained that Kayaba had absolutely been serious and true about the way the nerve gear could cause a person to die. "He already achieved his goal, so he would not need to lie at all. Kibao probably joined your guild to try and take it over, and from within send more and more people on impossible missions to die."

Thinker was remembering all the missions that Kibao had ever organized, and it was true. All of them had massive casualties. Sometimes entire parties were wiped out, and some others only his subordinate returned making some pathetic excuse. But if Kibao was in his guild, could other player killers be in other guilds? He did not like the looks of it, how was he or anyone going to be able to trust people if that was the case. "You are probably thinking that if what I said is true, then players would no longer trust each other? and you are right. I believe that is the reason they are doing this. To make the players more unorganized and panic stricken. This would lead to more deaths, and in the view of their leader that is what he wants."

Thinker finally spoke and with anger in his voice he said, "But that is simply insane. It is complete disregard the value of another person's life. How can they live with themselves doing that?" Kirito simply looked at him in the eye, "They can because deep down inside they are empty. They are hollow with no conscience or remorse at all. Eventually they will either turn on each other or commit suicide if the guild manages to kill all of us players. That is why my division fights them, and that is why we send them to your prison. No matter how much they beg for us to let them go. Your guild needs to get stronger, and so do your players. Without you we will have massive prison breaks, and the orange guilds would never fear getting caught. My division may catch them all, but without a strong guild to manage the prison it becomes meaningless."

Thinker promised that as soon as he figured a way to make his guild players stronger, he would. Kirito did not like to waste time so he gave him a training schedule. It was the schedule he invented, and it was a safe and effective way for players to become stronger. He also gave him a book that would update with the names of known player killers. He told them to never train these people, but use his schedule to be stronger. Thinker thanked Kirito for his rescue, and Yulier thanked Asuna and Yui too. As the family left through the teleport portal, they both realized that they had a lot of work ahead of them, but together they could achieve it.

"So Kirito how was your rescue mission? did you achieve all mission objective?" Heathcliff asked him and with his usual way, he looked at him with a stoic look and told him that it was complete. This was the person Kayaba was missing all since he started the guild. This was the ever dedicate knight that made his rule a much easier prospect. The man who not only became leader of his royal guard, but earned the respect of the entire royal guard. But he also knew that he would have another mission, and that was to gather allies, for eventually he would need those allies to unmask him. Kirito was that kind of a man, he could never stand to see a crook not receive his or her punishment and would always defend the innocent. He almost wanted to be able to leave this world to him, as his successor to the throne, but his success would also mean that the many people who were currently trapped would one day be free, and the day he died the program that allowed them to be there would be erased. The company would never allow it to continue to exist, to wipe away any evidence of people dying. This was the companies way to avoid lawsuits, and blame.

"Very well, Kirito. The jailers will now be ready to truly do their duty. How long till they are ready?" Kirito began to do numbers and calculations in his mind. "One month, if they follow my guidelines, they will be ready in one month." The leader smiled, "Overachiever like always, lets give them 2 months to be sure. Once we know their ready the hunt for laughing coffins and the other orange guilds can begin in earnest. In 2 months you will be very busy, might as well as train and enjoy your family while you still have some time."


	24. Chapter 24

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Several days after his return and public exposer to his real goals Kibaou was found guilty of causing the deaths of many of their members and weakening the prison by placing weak guards. To his credit Kibaou did not even try to make an excuse, not that he could. The man from the Knights of the Blood Oath had given Thinker enough evidence to make the case ironclad. He told everyone that he did not give a damn about the player's who died, it meant that they were weak and all he cared about was his rewards by the leader of laughing coffin for each idiot he managed to send to his or her death. He was sent to a solitary confinement cell for the remainder of the game, but this too proved to be useless. Thinker did not want to believe that his member's had been so unprepared for their duties as guards. I mean the prisoners had no weapons, how much of a risk could they prove. The escape by Kibaou and several other laughing coffins members using improvised weapons proved how wrong he was. They each turned a bed into their weapon. They managed to treat the bed as lumber. They broke it up and taking nails from it they picked the locks on their cells. I guess having lumberjack skills was not always such a waste of time after all. With clubs in hand they managed to catch the guards by surprise and killed them, and released a total of 12 of their fellow members. This had served as a final wake up call, and decided to follow Kirito's training plan to the letter.

2 months had gone by, and the people stopped making fun of the Aincrad Liberation Front, or the Army. The group really was a well disciplined, highly trained, and truly motivating fighting force. The army even started to have enough income to actually help the people on the first floor. As soon as the people saw that the weak and pathetic army managed to get so strong, they did the exact thing Kirito had imagined but never mentioned. They volunteered to join the army by large numbers. In 1 month after the training of the first group was done, every non merchant player had joined the army. The training was treated as boot camp, and every member had to go through it as they joined. Some of the officers even took on the position of drill instructors. Some people even laughed that maybe these guys were Marines from the US. But the training did not leave them enough time or stamina to make those sort of comment for long. The graduation speech by Thinker always ended with, "If you can survive our little hell camp, I don't see how you can possibly let this place intimidate you. But so help me if I hear 1 of you are slacking, I will have you all do this camp all over again." Thinker could have sworn that this last words scared the people hearing them, more than the death game.

Kirito had been doing his job, maintained the training of the members, visit his wife the vice-commander under the pretense of delivering reports, talked to the vice-commander's new aide. Meaning he also spent a little time with his precious daughter Yui. Heathcliff was happier than he had ever been, he felt that the troops were in good shape, and that made his world a lot nicer, and organized. If there was something he hated was a disorganized living environment. Having the captain of his royal guard had been a true blessing, but he did not like Rosalia's recent activities. She was doing things that counter the intentions of his captain. For some weird reason this really made the Red King angry as all hell. Having administrator privileges he knew exactly every thing the lying aide was up to. But he could not expose her without having Kirito have one more piece of evidence to expose him as the Kayaba. He was going to let Kirito expose him, but he was not about to make the job of it easy by any means.

Yui had some top level administrator privileges though, and he could pass the information through his unofficial daughter, cardinal. But this line of thinking always ended up with him being exposed and Aincrad being rushed to the final battle between the hero and the villain mastermind. He did not want to rush the progression through his world. After all it was implied that at the end either Kirito or him would die in the end. Heathcliff had learned to truly like, and even consider Kirito his only real friend. Anything that made it possible for him to continue to have fun with his buddy, was more than welcomed.

But not all wishes come true, and Rosalia was being even more obvious with her attempts to seduce her boss. The other member's of his division stop even caring about it. Then one of them finally said, "It will be a cold, and snowy day in hell before Kirito gets seduced by a tramp like you!" One of the most dedicated lady members of his division told Rosalia as she walked in an outfit that would embarrassed the cheapest of prostitutes. "His precious wife can't be with him all the time, I am sure he will succumb to the desires of the flesh soon enough." Rosalia told her as she left laughing. This was the day that Rosalia gained a shadow. This lady had been the aide to the previous leader of their division. She initially hated Kirito for taking the position away from her friend. Deep down she was a very practical woman, and when the results began to be noticed, she became one of his unspoken supporters. So she followed Rosalia for nearly 2 months, and in that time he had enough evidence, testimonies, and reports to choke a floor boss. She sent all the information to Kirito, of course as an anonymous contribution.

The day Rosalia should have dressed with more clothes finally came to pass. The feeling in the office of Kirito was so cold, that it made the ice fields of some of the floors below seem quite warm by comparison. "You called my dearest leader? How can I your humble aide provide you with anything you may desire?" Rosalia was always quite stubborn. Some would call her a natural born blockhead. "Rosalia, I good that you came by. I have a few things that I would like to discuss with you." Kirito told her with a smile on his face but his hair hid his cold glare in his eyes. "Oh, of course I always have time for you. What could it possibly be that you needed me in your office so early in the morning? What could I possibly do to make your life that much better?" Rosalia went and sat down on the chair in front of his desk. She even attempted to do a scene from a movie she had seen. It was a classic, but how lewd could she get practically flashing her private areas as she crossed her leg. "We will see, first of mind telling me what you have been doing this past month?"

Rosalia used her standard lie that she was doing paperwork like always. She of course did no such thing, she had seduced a low member of a craft guild to do that for her. He was now sure that the information had been true. He went to talk about said paperwork, and how it had many irregularities, and even onto her personal travel schedule. The more lies she told the more she began to feel that she was digging herself a new grave. "Sir, Why the interrogation? Have I not done everything you desired of me? Have I not been always there ready to help you?" Rosalia trying desperately to stop the questions with a last attempt at seduction. "Well, Rosalia did you know that I implemented a secret monitor for all the mail in our entire guild. You know the saying loose lips sink ships." Rosalia was losing the color on her face as she heard him. "So you can imagine my surprise when I received not 1 but nearly a hundred letters that you send to known orange guild members." Rosalia was sure that this was not good for her. "But you never even mentioned this, had it been a secret infiltration of yours to try and capture them that would have been one thing, but this made you look very suspect. So Rosalia do you happen to know where the headquarters of the laughing coffins are? Or should I take this evidence as your treason of the guild?"

Rosalia knew that if she told him the location, PoH would have her head for sure. But the things he could do to her were much worse than death. She debated in her mind which would be the most beneficial decision. To rat out the killers guild or to stay quite hoping that they would rescue her. "Don't bother answering, it was a rhetorical question. I know that the headquarters are in the 69 floor in the dungeon under the army's headquarters. I had Kibaou followed after his escape." Rosalia looked really pissed as she heard that. "Then why the questions? Why not simply expose me to all the guild? or was it that you wanted to see me in private?" Kirito laughed in such a cruel and cold fashion that it stopped her from saying another thing. "Oh, I wanted to give you the benefit of allowing you to do the right thing. Had you told me the truth, I might have been allowed you to stay. A good spy is always hard to find after all. But the one thing one must have to want to keep that spy is Loyalty. If the spy is a double agent, how can someone trust said spy? And no Rosalia we are not alone, you felt that cold did you not? Did you know that people's perceptions tend to be not so accurate in extreme cold places.. You are currently surrounded by all the council and you did not even notice it." At a snap of his fingers everyone appeared as soon as the room temperature returned to normal. "Well, Sachi it seems your information was true after all. I guess this was your attempt at an apology, don't worry I hold no grudges over the remaining members of the black cats." Sachi was very happy to hear that, it was amazing how some true training changed a person's physical appearance. The former cute member of the black cats had become the confident and strong member of his division. "So commander what punishment should we give this traitor? I move towards a public execution. But as always your choice shall be followed." Kirito told Heathcliff as he entered the room. "Well, Kirito I know where you are coming from, believe me that some of our members would enjoy that. But justice must be served, and such I believe that sending her to prison to be with her fellow criminals is much better punishment. The prison guards are ready are they not?" Kirito smiled as he saw Rosalia ready to cry at what she heard. "Of course they are, sir. Ahead of schedule I might add. Thinker has been a real trooper in getting his guards trained."

Healthcliff looked at Rosalia and with a sneer he declared his sentence. "For treason against the players and this guild you are sentenced to remain in prison in the general populace section till the end of this game. Your col and all your belongings shall be gathered, divided and given to the spouses of your victims. As leader of this guild I do command this, and it shall be so!" Rosalia pleaded that she be forgiven, she offered Heathcliff to be his personal love slave, she offered the council all her col and her own body for them to use, she offered the same to Kirito even to give him a child in the real world. It all fell in deft ears. Nothing worked, and she knew it. She could not live in that prison surrounded by the orange guild members that would be a death sentence. So she did the only thing she could. Out of her inventory she took out a rather cruel looking dagger and attacked Kirito, he simply struck the blade with one of his swords so quick they did not even see him move, the dagger went flying into the air and was seen striking her right between her breasts. The look of shock and fear was the last thing anyone saw as she died. Sachi simply said, "He is the head of her division, and it specialized in combat. How dumb can you be to think you could catch him unaware." Kirito toucher her shoulder. "Well I am in need of a new aide, Well Sachi do you believe that you can do the job better than your predecessor?" Sachi looked completely happy, "Sir, Yes Sir!"


	25. Chapter 25

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The time for peace had come to an end for the criminal guilds, or at least the time for them feel real fear had finally come. The Knights of the Blood Oath took to their arms and went to systematically hunt all criminal guilds. In 1 solid month the guild had trapped, captured or outright killed entire criminal guilds. The laughing coffins was the very last guild. They were definitely feeling the pressure. They knew that it was a matter of time before they found out where their organization called their headquarters. Kibaou being the foul man that he was he was sure that he could end the threat by killing Kirito. Without him the rest would be too afraid to do anything. PoH was not as foolish as Kibaou and knew that if he was so easy to kill, someone would already have done it. No he needed to make his records within the guild disappear and make sure his connection to the guild was severed and he was safe. He even thought about sending the location of the headquarters and guild defenses if they would offer him immunity. But he knew better than that. He knew that Kirito was not one to forgive or forget criminals. His ruthless efficiency was one of the things that made him respect Kirito after all.

The thing was that they already knew where their headquarters was. Rosalia being the overconfident fool had been the perfect way to find the guild headquarters of every criminal guild. Kirito and his division just showed up when they would have their regular meeting and either they arrested the people or had to kill in in self-defense. Yui still had some administrator privileges thanks to her original training as a mental health coordinator. She could in theory know everything that the players felt and did, and had access to every player in the entire castle. She was perfect in scheduling the little surprise visit by Kirito's division. The criminals ranged from plain greedy to absolutely psycho. The greedy players loved money and the ability to someday return to their normal lives way to much to even put up a fight. The real psychos loved the chance to kill someone more than they cared about a minor thing like life. The worst of the worst had an absolute belief in themselves, that they believed that either they were the hand of god or that they were so powerful that no one could defeat them. Pride comes before the fall, or so the saying goes. It proved to be true. Kirito alone killed his fair share of these psychos and did not even feel a bit sad or guilty.

The last surprise meeting of laughing coffins had a few dozen heavy armed Knights of the Blood Oath, and PoH was unusually missing from the meeting. Kibaou did his best to make it sound like, he was more than enough to deal with a brat like Kirito. He simply jumped on top of the desk where the officers of the guild were about to hold their meeting. He made a simple and effective bet, if he beat their best fighter the guild members surrender and goes to prison till the game was cleared, if he lost he would die and the guild would be removed of the list of criminal guilds. Kibaou overconfident demanded that Asuna and Yui become his personal sex slaves if he beat Kirito. The member's of his division saw the look that he had on his face when the idiot said it. They had been sure that Kibaou was idiotic, but to say something like that to Kirito he was also suicidal. It did not matter who it was, no one messed with their leader's family and did not pay the price.

Kirito simply waited for the idiot to try and attack him. The duel was agreed to by his second in command. The leader only made it a duel to the death. As Kibaou took his weapon in hand and charged him, Kirito took out both of this swords and they began to glow. When they were bright and Kibaou was very near Kirito was heard screaming, "**Star Burst Stream**!" He launched into the motions and attacked Kibaou in a long and quick combo attack. Kibaou went from smiling, to frighten, to crying, and finally to the face of sheer horror. In a matter of 1 minute Kirito had struck him with a 50 hit combo, destroyed his armor, weapon and he was only in his underwear as he collapsed on the floor after the combo was done. "No way in hell." Kibaou was heard whispering as he slowly began to shatter into pieces and in seconds there was nothing left of him. Kibaou's defeat caused the entire guild to surrender. They might be killers but they were not suicidal.

Kirito walked to where the people where gathered and Sachi used the teleport crystal. She had heard about sending some criminals to the wrong prison by mistake. The players were sent into the processing cells of the prison. Thinker and his guild had become the perfect guards, incorruptible, absolutely loyal, and with not an ounce of pity or mercy towards the prisoners. Thinker himself saw that these criminals pay for their crimes, by reducing their assigned food intake to a bare minimum. Hunger was a good way to make people obey the prison rules after all. To those that disobeyed too many times they were assigned a number of floors they had to clear in the underground dungeon. After one prison described the horrors that were in that dungeon. The times they had to do that were rare, but they did have to do that. It even caused the death of one of the prisoners believing that he would be able to keep the items he obtained, and make better gear for himself and his fellow criminals. This was set right by Thinker explaining to the surviving friends of the fool. "The items are sold, and the money will go towards your victims. You will not be allowed to keep a single col or item. If you try and hide it we will know and will not be allowed to exit the dungeon. So try it and you will end up like that fool."

Heathcliff was happy, and I mean really happy. Without criminals now was the time to focus on clearing higher floors. The time for the final fight against Kirito was drawing closer. This made him really happy and excited. Most people believed that he was excited to finally clearing the game and saving the players from the death game. Kirito had a full network of information brokers and merchants look at every action Heathcliff did. He would unmask him soon. Yui also helped by proving a log of all the man's activities to her daddy. "No matter how hard someone tries to hide it, the truth always comes out." He had earned the loyalty of his entire division, and thanks to Asuna he was seen as an incredibly honest and honorable person by the other divisions. The last details were being prepared. He pretty much just needed a place to catch him by surprise.

Heathcliff announced to the entire guild that they exploration and floor clearing operations would resume immediately. Thanks to the training by Kirito the guild was expected to clear the 80th floor by the end of the month. That was only 9 days to finish a lot of hard floors. Kirito knew that Heathcliff would put on the pressure to clear floors fast, but the amount made it clear, he intends to get rid of some of the members to prepare for the fight he would organize as the final battle. But Kirito was not going to let him get away with it. He decided to try and expose him somewhere in the 80th floor. It was going to be before they even reached the 90th floor for certain.


	26. Chapter 26

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Kirito felt that his life was pretty good considering. He had a good job, loyal people that actually listened to what he said and the actually worked towards a common goal. His new aide was not the lazy, whiny excuse maker that Rosalia had been and made his work very much more organized and all around more tolerable for him. His boss gave him plenty of chances to really make his division shine. To make matters better the more they did the easier it was for him to find evidence against Heathcliff. In a few more floors he would have an air tight case against him, and there would no chance for him to escape. Heathcliff was actually helping him by leaving the symbolic bread crumbs for him to follow. He wanted Kirito to expose him, and having their final battle. But he was not going to make it easy either, where is the fun in that so he told himself. Make it easier but not easy, leave clues but not make him think hard to decipher them.

Kirito had to step up his training program after the last floor boss, and so did his troops. This made them silently curse their luck, some even joked that Kirito's training would be the death of them long before the game. Those that knew better did not even joked, if Kirito had to step up their training program, they could only imagine how hard was his. Kirito lead his man with not only his word, but with example. If he made them kill a few hundred monster is because he was killing a few thousand of the same monsters or hundreds monsters tougher than they had to kill. Asuna was as always very professional in all the meetings with the council, but as soon as they were alone together she would drop the cold behavior and would take him in her arms. She was seriously worried that her beloved husband was pushing himself too hard. Yui had take to miss lunches so that she could try to get enough evidence on Heathcliff, cardinal had decided to take also a hand on approach to helping Kirito. Mysteriously a black crow would sometime appear out of nowhere and dropped a package on Kirito's lap and disappeared just as fast as it appeared. It where coded messages that he had to give to Yui to decipher. He could figure out the basic message, but the details were in language that was a little confusing. Yui explained that it was not a message the parts that he found confusing it was the code for a recording. Who ever had that crow familiar was sending him coded video recording of Heathcliff. Cardinal did her very best to keep these packets deliveries out of the logs or any other way that Heathcliff would find out about it.

It took nearly 2 years and Kirito losing 20 of his division for him to ask Heathcliff to organize a multi-guild task force to deal with the 85th floor boss. This boss had figured a way to separate the players and picked them off at it's leisure. He needed to find out who was doing this, and put a stop to it or he would be the only one left in his division before long. This floor boss was just that tough and that smart. He and Asuna decided to do some scouting of the floor to find the boss room. They had gone through most of the floor and had mapped 90% of the floor, so it was pretty easy to figure out where the boss room was. He decided to take a break and Asuna was happy. She had made one of her homemade picnic baskets, much to Kirito's joy. Kirito was glad to have married a loving, understanding, considerate, and tender young lady. But secretly he was also glad that she was a terrific mother to Yui, a lover with a bright mind and imagination, and last but not least could cook like there was no tomorrow. He never ever would complain about his beloved wife's cooking. His own monster mother used to joke and tell him that maybe she should ask her to teach her a few recipes. His father simply joked and also told him that it would make his retirement that much easier if she did.

"So Kirito do you think we have done enough for today? or do you really want to check the floor boss to see what kind of weapon he uses?" It was tempting but he did not want to risk his beloved Asuna, he knew that if some poor idiot tried to solo it, that she would just jump in and try to save the fool. "Maybe if I knew we were alone on this floor, but that is unlikely. These monsters provide good exp and col after all. I would really love a day off so that I can spend some more time with both you and Yui, not to mention that I really want to spend some quality time with you in our bedroom if you know what I mean." Asuna blushed at her husband. "We have been married for a while now, if you really want me to and we were alone we could make love right here." Just ask Kirito was about to answer a group of red armored players appeared, looking like they had been walking all day. He finally recognized the leader, Klein had formed his own guild by the looks of it, and it was a rather small one. "Kirito, still alive I see." Klein said smiling and walking to where the couple had been sitting. "Klein, can't believe you are still alive. Are you working hard or hardly working?" Klein was looking at him and laughing. "Still as antisocial as ever I see, and who is this beauty. Hi my name is Klein i am 24 still looking for a girlfriend." Kirito grabbed him by the neck and made him look at his glaring face. "Would you kindly not hit on my wife! That way I won't have to beat you till your armor breaks and leave you here unconscious and naked for a monster to have his way with you!" Klein was surprised by the sheer venom that he was hearing from Kirito he could tell he was not kidding. "Wait a minute, this beauty is your wife? How lucky can one guy get a great paying job, respected by almost all serious players here, and a drop dead beautiful wife. Some guys have all the luck." Kirito dropped him and he fell on his rear. "Maybe if you put it the hours of work I do you might find someone for yourself too." Klein got up laughing and told him where was the fun in being a workaholic in a game.

As they were about to call the day over and their final monster had been destroyed Kirito began to feel a familiar sensation deep within his heart, it was almost like a his brother was watching him from somewhere nearby. The funny thing was his brother was indeed watching him. "Well I sent him the most high level monsters on my floor, and he still won. My brother was not Captain of the Red King's guard for nothing. I wonder who that female invader was, it was almost like my brother found himself a new mate, after Velvet I was sure that he would never love anyone else. I guess you learned to forgive and move on. Too bad for you that I am the floor boss of this floor. You could never bring yourself to hurt me before, I wonder if you manage to get pass that too."

The blue eyed fiend was watching him, and when he saw Kirito leave the floor returned to his post in the boss room. He sat there waiting, and wishing for Kirito to hurry up and get into the room. He wanted to see how strong his brother had gotten. He was sure to put him through a real test, not unlike what their father had done. "If he wants to defeat me he will have to stop using that ridiculous disguise and use his full powers. I will make him see reason, and stop shaming our family by pretending to be one of those filthy invaders. He is a fiend and he should damn well behave like it!" Seeing his brother the one that he was so proud of look like the weak pathetic invaders made him feel sad, angry and ashamed. He would knock some sense into him, and he would regain the brother he was so proud of. His singular purpose was to make his brother regain his sanity. He consider his brother actions to be a form of dementia. What is a brother to do but try and help his brother out. His parents had tried to make him see that Kirito was as much a proud fiend as the rest of the family, regardless on how he looked like. His warrior heart and mind was intact, even if he looked different on the outside. The next fight would prove who was right, his parents or him, either way he was doing it to help his brother so what could be wrong about that.


	27. Chapter 27

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The very next day Kirito had tried to assemble a full platoon. He couldn't because the day before someone had gotten the brilliant idea of playing a prank and put in the morning juice some sleeping pills. When Kirito had found the prankster he ran towards the guild master's office, begging if not pleading for the guild master to save him. Kirito was after him and he was mad, spitting nails and taking names mad. "So the little prankster ran all the way over here just so that I could beat some sense into him in front of the guild master's office door. Before I kick your teeth in, tell me what made you think you could ruin my scheduled mission and not face some sort of punishment?" The idiot could not form a complete sentence. He kept begging the guild master to save him, and being scared by the look on Kirito's face. The idiot could swear that his eyes had a red glow to them. The thing that made the guild master appear was when he screamed, **"The red eyed fiend is out here and he is going to kill me! For the love of god Guild Master SAVE ME!" **The Guild master got up from his pleasant morning tea, and came to his door and opened it. When he did he saw a guild member receiving the beating of a lifetime. "Kirito mind telling me why are you beating this member?" Heathcliff asked him as he finished his tea. "This idiot who I have no idea or desire to know his name, put sleeping pills in the morning juice, and almost my entire division is asleep. I have a floor clearing mission for my division today. Thanks to this moron. Now I have 5 members to clear a high level floor boss. So you tell me I am doing wrong in punishing the fool."

Heathcliff could not argue against the fact that this person deserved a punishment, but a punishment like this? "Yes, Kirito you are right he should be punish, but a beating should be last resort. I am sending this fool to prison for at least 4 months. That should be more than enough." Kirito told him that would simply make everyone that wanted to get off from doing their duty to play a prank, the discipline in the entire guild would go down the proverbial drain if that happened. Heathcliff could see that he was right. "50 lashes from his division leader, public with his entire division present. That should make you happy." Kirito had to mention his floor clearing mission. Heathcliff knew that he was not going to simply put this mission on hold. He told Kirito that he would go with him and the other 5 members. He simply said that with him it should be more than enough. Kirito did not like it but he had to agree it was better than nothing. "Come on, Kirito smile. You got to do your mission, and you got to set an example against possible pranksters. What could make you frown like that?"

As the finished clearing the floor, he looked at Heathcliff with an odd look in his eye. When they got to the floor boss room it was clear that something was on his mind. Kirito opened the floor boss door and saw something that made him slam the door shut. He told Heathcliff that it might be better if the rest of the division went on back home, he could deal with this monster alone. Heathcliff told them to leave and return to their guild, but he stayed behind. He wanted to know what could make Kirito look so flustered about this floor boss.

Kirito opened the room and saw a big blue eye fiend smiling at him. He knew exactly who is was. "So my big brother finally decided to show up and meet me. My condolences on the passing of Velvet, she had been a good mate to you by my opinion. So common on brother drop that ridiculous disguise and fight me!" The fiend told Kirito in the usual monster language. Kirito understood it quite well, but the thing that made it clear who Heathcliff was, was the fact that he too understood it.

He began talking in the monster language. "Brother, you should be a guard if not a captain of the guard by now. Why are you a floor boss?" The fiend began to laugh really hard, "Because this way you can not pass and ignore me!" He took out two massive swords, and Kirito called him a copycat, and he simply told him imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. "It's alright Kirito change, I will change you back as soon as the fight is over." Heathcliff told him, he did not want to change, to make the fight more interesting. Heathcliff was not about to lose his favorite captain, so he changed him without asking. In the boss room 2 fiends began to fight. A red eyed fiend proved to be a good fighter but Kirito was stronger, quicker, and more accurate. In a blazing speed he hit him with a 100 hit combo. His brother was defeated, and his swords were broken into pieces. "I guess you were not shaming our species after all, I let my ego get the better of me.I am beaten, brother. Be sure to come and introduce your lovely mate, and allow me to see my little niece." The blue eye fiend disappeared, having been removed from his position as a floor boss.

Heathcliff was left with a snarling, and armed red eyed fiend. "Relax, Kirito I told you I would change you back." As Kirito changed back to his human form he picked something in his inventory and tossed it against the wall. It was a recording crystal. It would record the entire conversation. "So it really is you. I had a few suspicions, but I am a loss on how to address you, Heathcliff, Guild Master, Kayaba or Your Majesty? Tell me how am I supposed to call you?" Heathcliff began to laugh and he knew that the crystal was going to record him, but he did not care. "It doesn't matter does it? my dear old friend. Kayaba would be fine." Kirito saw the smile on his face, "So Kayaba mind telling me why you trapped players in this world? Why make it their death real?" Kayaba looked at him and with a friendly tone told him, "I wanted to make a world of splendor, beauty, adventure, and personal growth. But I wanted this world to be real, I wanted the actions or lack of discipline to have real consequences. In this world or in the other murderers exist,lack of training could lead to a persons death too in both world, not to mention lack of discipline. But unlike the other world that people are beginning to forget. This world is fair, this world has a true sense of justice. You and the rest of the players could live a happy life here. You found your true love twice in this place, Velvet loved you till her dying day, Asuna would too. You have a daughter how makes you proud. I am no different, I have a friend that was my most able captain of my guard which made me so very proud. So my dear friend, what will you do about that recording? I know that you would expose me eventually but why do it this way? why not challenge me to a duel on the 100th floor? You gave your little brother that chance. Why not give me the same chance?"

Kirito wanted to say that he did not deserve it but couldn't. "Because I don't want to let anyone else die. If somehow I could make sure that no more players died I would give you that chance, Kayaba." Heathcliff was smiling, truly smiling when he heard that, "This was what I was waiting for since you were the captain of my royal guard. I was worried that it would never happen since you were so quick in punishing the prankster earlier, but you wanted to maintain the discipline in the guild. Strict, Fair, Loyal, Motivational, Caring, Just, and Smart. These are some of the qualities that define a leader, and with your efforts in finding out my real identity you have finished my hidden grand quest." He made a motion and immediately his image was projected in all reflective surfaces in all of Aincrad. "People of this world hear me, I am the Guild Master of The Knights of the Blood Oath, but I must also tell you now, I am also Kayaba Akihiko. The creater of this death game. I was planning to betray my guild to trap all of you in this game forever, but Kirito managed to complete my Hidden Gran Quest. He managed to identify me, and had the qualities that I would see in my successor. I am naming Kirito the next Guild Master of my guild. If you value your worthless lives you will obey him, because he will make sure you are ready to face me or he will fail and you will all die!" Kirito's armor was changed into an elaborate detailed, and exquisite version of his armor. "He will lead you to where I await you on the 100th floor. Come and fight against me if you dare!" Kirito wanted to stop him. "Well my friend, train the guild to be as strong as you or even stronger. If you do that no one will die, and I will see you in my throne room. But do me a favor, don't keep me waiting for too long, my dear old friend." Heathcliff banished and was not seen as he returned to the Guild. The council was waiting for him to appear and as he did, they all bowed to him. "We never believed that Heathcliff would betray us like this, but you are our leader. Guide us to be strong enough to face that traitor. We hear and await your instructions Guild Master."

"The days of goofing off and playtime are over, we will increase our readiness and skills. I am ordering the guild craftsmen to make new gear for us, we will fight, but remember this, we do not abandon anyone, we will all make it out of here alive." The Guild members that saw him, saw that he was not kidding. This leader was committed to make sure everyone that was still alive survived. For a brief moment every member including the council felt something that they had forgotten, they felt a forget feeling that for a brief moment they all felt again, Hope.


	28. Chapter 28

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

He always believed deep down inside, that Heathcliff was always just leaving all the hard stuff for the men beneath him, spent most of the day either training, trying to look cool, or just enjoying a happy go lucky relaxed life. When he saw his first day as leader come to an end, he realized how wrong he had been. Being leader meant to have vast amounts of work, not wasting a single second of the day, be it training, reading reports, helping teach the lower members, making deals with crafting players, or just organizing expeditions and taking care of the day to day operations of the guild. At the end of his first day he was crawling into his bed with the help of Yui and Asuna. If he had very little time for his family before, not if they wanted to see him they had to either look at a picture, or make an appointment.

Sachi had taken over his old post, and she followed his guidelines to the letter. The people in his division were hoping that they could take the day off, but that was not going to happen. Kirito wanted every single member of the guild to be at the max level, and prepared as if fighting hell itself. Lizbeth was more than happy to join the guild and make a crafting team for the guild. The very best and hard working crafting players were hired. The items that were in the works would net them millions in col, but they had to do them for free. The guild provided them with materials and motivation. The motivation was if they made extremely tough gear for them, they would be free from the death game that much quicker, and they would be back with their loved ones. Some at first figured that they wanted the col more, but Kirito had to remind them that their real bodies were in a hospital. If they stayed too long their bodies would weaken so much, that returning might not be a possibility anymore. That stopped the greediest of the crafting players from ever saying something like that again. Money was good, but you have to be alive to enjoy it after all.

Asuna did not care about the objections or methods used by the council to keep Kirito focused, she just barged right into his office or the council room and gave him his lunch. She did not care that once she had to kick down a door to do it. She would make sure her husband had at least 1 decent meal a day. Yui had taken over the lead as the best scout in the guild. Some idiots even challenged her to a duel, but she beat them down in mere seconds or at worst a minute. She was the daughter of the Guild Master, did they honestly think that her cute appearance meant that she was weak?

In 3 solid months of training and preparing the guild was finally ready to start doing what they trained to do. To map floors, clear them, beat the floor boss, rinse and repeat. The scouting team lead by you were efficient in mapping out the floors and making a detail log of the monster's levels. The rest of the players in Aincrad looked at the guild members and wondered, how strong did they really become? Yui felt that she needed something to take off the boredom of doing the same thing on every floor. She decided to take on a floor boss by herself. When a player under command asked if she was really going to take on a floor boss alone? She just smiled, "Sure, daddy can do it, there is no reason I can't. Anyways I need to get rid of some of this frustration anyways."

She went towards a huge boss and with weapon in hand she pointed at the floor boss, "Well, what are you waiting? an invitation? Come and get me!" The massive monster came running at him screaming something awful. As the massive hammer came down she evaded and she tripped the boss monster and he fell down. Yui put back her weapon, and she decided to just use her fists, and legs. The monster would get up attack, he evaded and he fell down yet again. At the end of the fight everyone was trying hard not to laugh. She had grabbed his hand and was using his own hammer to beat the boss monster into the red of his hp meter. She kept asking one thing, "Why are you hitting yourself?" As the boss monster lost the last of his HP he was seen practically crying. She dusted herself off and went to meet the other players who had been watching. "What? That was hardly a decent warm up. I hope other floor boss monsters can put a better fight than that, or this will be quite boring." She walked towards the portal and yawned as she unlocked the next floor.

In the monster side of Aincrad, the former boss of the 89 floor was drinking heavily in a bar, while crying something awful. The bartender doing his best to console the crying guy. He sounded like he had been beaten in the most humiliating way possible. His wife entered the bar looking for her husband and asked the bartender what cause her husband to cry like a little baby? She told her, that she might as well asked him, as she served her a cup of tea. After she made a few well directed and sharp question he understood what happened. "Maybe this will teach you not to insult your opponents, underestimate them because they look young or use such foul language." Her husband had to admit that he did not behave as he should. "I don't blame her actually, I think she took it easy on you. I would have used that hammer to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours." His wife told him as she finished her 3rd cup of tea. He paid the tab for them both and told her that she did use the hammer to beat his skull in. "Not a bad girl them, hope I can meet her. I could use a decent fight."

As the scout team made it back to the guild headquarters they saw the frowning face of their much respected Guild Master, Kirito was not amused at what Yui's second in command had sent him in a private mail. As they came to see him close, they came to a stop. Stoic look on his face, he simply told them that they did good work, and to take the rest of the day off. Yui almost looked relieved at that, but as she was close to him he stopped her. He hugged her and hugged her hard, as he released his hug, he asked her, "What have I told you about the proper way to beat an opponent? Did I not say to always show manners, respect and honor?" Yui kissed her daddy on the cheek. "But daddy, you should have heard the things that idiot said about me. He called me everything thing from a good for nothing cry baby to a bed wetting coward. I simply could not stand to leave him unpunished for such disrespect." Kirito smiled, and laughed as the two walked towards Asuna's office. "Your mom will want to hear the details so lets go and you can tell us both at the same time."

The newest invention from the crafting guilds had been a rather large invention, they had finally managed to make a radio station, with player bands preforming songs from the other world. This also served as a way to broadcast the newest exploits by the most respected guild, The Knights of the Blood Oath. Asuna had been listening hoping to hear something about what the people's opinion was in the current actions by the guild. The door opened as the radio was playing a song by a lady singing a rather old song. The title was quite appropriate, as she saw her husband and daughter walk in. The title of the song, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." Kirito began to laugh really hard as he sat down, and looked at his much surprised and amused wife, "Fate must have a sense of humor, because our girl did want to have some fun, and did she ever." Yui was blushing as she looked at her daddy laughing.

Asuna turned the radio off, and looked at her daughter in a questioning way. She waited until she was about to ask what her husband meant by her having fun? She began to tell what had happened in their scouting mission, and even what she told the team as they opened the door all the way until she challenged the hammer wielding floor boss, and she stopped to ask her mommy for saying anything rude before she continues. She went on to describe in great detail what the now beaten floor boss had screamed, and what gestures he used. Kirito had heard what she told him the floor boss had said, but she had omitted the gestures he used. He looked at his beloved wife, and she was looking rather mad, and he could not help but to feel that the former floor boss was lucky. If they had encounter him instead after hearing what he did and said to her daughter. He would have been cut to pieces. In the monster side the same floor boss felt as if someone had walked on his grave.

"You are just as bad as your daddy. You two can't help but to show off. What do I have to do to teach this family some modesty?" Her aide a rather burly guy heard her say that to her family and he began to laugh. He quietly said, "Maybe lead by example."

The Guild had taken the job of clearing floors quite seriously, Kayaba was having a good time watching the guild deal with the floors. He felt that Kirito had not disappointed him with his decisions, the radio was a good way to keep up to date with the players activities. He was sure that his final fight against Kirito was not too far off. "A fight to the death with my good friend, I guess it will be the only way that I can pay for indirectly causing the death of so many people. But somehow fighting Kirito to the death also makes me feel sad, how odd." He told himself as he too finished his day as King.


	29. Chapter 29

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The day that the guild finally reached the 100th floor was something that shocked, angered and motivated them beyond what they were already motivated. To be fair Kirito was not that surprised, he lived on that floor for a few weeks. You might ask yourself what upset them so much, well the fact that the 100th floor was a massive castle, surrounded by the most beautiful gardens and picture perfect lawns, a wonderful little plaza where to enjoy tea. This place made the most expensive home a player could ever buy look like a ghetto. This was the home of that backstabbing bastard that had been their Guild Master. The look of the place upset the lady players, but what really upset the men, again except Kirito was the fact that when they entered the palace they saw a whole bunch of extremely sexy maids in french lace uniforms run for their lives. The cheeky bastard had beautiful women serve him hand to foot. Most of the people were either to busy to spend time with their significant other, or even a date. Here the backstabbing bastard lived in luxury with that to serve his every need.

Kirito was only conflicted about attacking the guards. Many of these people had been his subordinates at one time, and some he considered good friends. He had developed a hand sign communication method with his most loyal of subordinates. It seems that they to adopted to do the same. He could tell what they were planning just by looking at the signs that were exchanged between guards. His most dreaded fight was when he was face to face with his former aide. She had been Velvet's sister which would mean she was Yui's aunt. He told the guild to take a few hours rest on a cleared part of the floor. The guild members had been only too happy to do that.

For the first time ever he chose to wear the old helm he wore as a guard captain. The shocked blue haired guard woman saw him walk up to her. They began to look at each other looking for signs of a possible fight. When she saw that he was not even holding his weapons, she rushed him and gave him a warm hug. "Kirito, I am very happy to see you again. Have you decided to leave the invaders and come back to the guard?" She asked with a voice full of hope. "Sorry Irene I am not, I am following his majesties command. He wanted me to lead the invading forces." Irene almost looked sad, "So are you going to attack me?" She asked as she took hold of her massive 2 handed sword. "Not if I can avoid it. I already lost Velvet I would not want to lose you too." She relaxed her grip on her sword. "I know you have a new mate, I hope she makes you happy, or I will make you a widower yet again!" Kirito smiled, "Don't worry I am happy, so is your niece. Can I convince you to take a leave of this post for today? I don't want to fight you." Kirito asked her hoping that she would agree. Irene began to laugh hard, "Oh, come one Kirito you know that even if I wanted too, as guard captain do you think I could? Even if I lose I will just go to our side of Aincrad. So you better come at me without holding back. I want to see how strong my captain has gotten living with those pathetic invaders." He was not happy but he agreed to fight her seriously. It was the only way to show his former subordinate some respect. They parted on friendly terms and he went to where the guild members were resting. Asuna asked him what he was doing? He told him of his meeting and conversation. She had no clue that Velvet had a sister. He joked that she never asked.

As the guild members finished their lunch, he got up and told them that it was time to move. They followed him with military precision. They finished the floor till they were at the door to the throne room. There was a heavily armored lady, with long blue hair in a braided pony tail holding a massive 2 handed sword. Kirito did not wait and attacked head on. The fight was not long he used his two swords with great efficiency. He used 1 to change the trajectory of the massive sword and guard. The other to attack her legs and arms. The fight took 20 minutes and the lady was defeated. The guild members saw her helm fall off, and they could swear that she was smiling as she disappeared. He sent a message to Yui to go and talk to her aunt while he took care of his old friend.

The elegant massive doors opened and the way to the throne room was open. There he was Heathcliff dressed in crimson armor with golden trim sitting on his throne waiting for the guild members. "Took you long enough to get here, Kirito. How long were you planning to keep me waiting?" Heathcliff asked him. This surprised the guild members, many thinking that maybe the new Guild Master had planned to betray them too. The idiots got a hit on the head by their division heads. "Had to make sure we were ready to give you a decent fight. I was not going to let a single one of them die." Kirito told him, which his only reply was that it was commendable. "Since you don't want them to die fight me alone. You and me whoever wins gets their wish. Mine is that these peons be my slaves forever, and never return to the other world. You most likely wish to win their freedom. What a waste of perfectly good peons, but if you win you will be free I swear on my throne."

Kirito did not even had to reply, he took both of his swords and marched to where Heathcliff was waiting for him. As soon as he was in range he attacked. The fight was long and brutal his swords had shown clear signs of damage. He did not bother using the dual sword arts, since he was the man that made the combos and arts. Heathcliff knew how to evade them. Instead he did something that no one expected. He used single sword arts with each sword. The random way that he used the skills made it hard for Heathcliff to remain free of harm. After half an hour the man's shield was broken and he only had 1 sword that was badly need of repair. Kirito had finished his fight as saw Heathcliff smile as he was finally defeated. Asuna ran to hug him, and he collapse into her hug. The fight had taken him to the yellow zone, and must have been tired. As he fell asleep he saw Velvet congratulate him on a marvelous fight, she had been keeping an eye on him so it seemed. Kirito saw Heathcliff greet him as an old friend touching each others fists together. "That was a good fight Kirito, I may have died in the other world. But I will live on in cyberspace. If you ever need my help be sure to call on me." Kirito told him that he would hold him to that. They both laughed as he awoke in the real world. He saw him body was in need of some good old fashion exercise. But he took off his nervegear, and the many needles from the IV bags that had been placed into him. He began to walk using an IV stand for support. The only single thought was to find his beloved wife.

Little did he know that she would not be awake like he was, She was still trapped in somewhere but he had to find that out much later. The Sword Art Online Incident caused several security measures to be invented to prevent it from happening again. The second thing that happened was that marriage's that had been made in Aincrad had been recognized and accepted in the real world. The legislator that had made the law that allowed it said it quite clearly, "That place was as real as our world, they faced real dangers, and had to work for a living. If death was real there as here, then their marriage must also be considered just as real." Kirito was free from the game, and his rehab would take several weeks. But with what he had learned, he made significant progress. Never quit when it is difficult, fight for your loved ones, life does not owe you anything, and always nurture your relationships. His sister was very happy to see her brother picking up Kendo as a form of rehab. What surprised her was that he used 2 swords.

Kirito spent all his free time looking in all the possible places, any information that he could find was treated as gold. Yui was also looking through every corner in cyberspace for a place her mommy could be. Suguha had been the perfect sparring partner, and was there to help Kirito get his body back to a good condition, and even improved. She joked that maybe he should enter into a tournament that was going to be held. He might even win the national championship if he tried hard enough. He told her that he was too busy, someone had taken his most beloved treasure, and he was going to get that treasure back. She did not undertand until she asked her mom, she told her to look up her brother's marital status. She was so shocked when she finally got to see her brother's marital status. Her brother was married to some unknown babe named Asuna.

In the middle of the night he checked his e-mail, Agil had sent him a message to look at the attached picture and see him in his business as soon as possible. At the end it said, "Your mate it seems grew some wings. Come and see me. I will give you the way to rescue your angel."

Kirito told Yui of the e-mail and uploaded her the picture. "Tomorrow daddy, we go to see mommy. I will set up the meeting for the next day. We need to make sure that you are in top form. Who ever kidnapped mommy was crafty, we will have quite the fight on our hands."


	30. Chapter 30

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

In the real world, or what people called the real world. Kirito was called Kazuto Kirigaya. But as his life somewhat revolved in getting better and trying to regain some physical condition. He began to exercise pretty heavily. He somehow managed to connect his nervegear to the small laptop he built, and was able to talk to Yui for sometime.

He explained to his precious daughter that for some odd reason her mommy had not awakened when the supposed death game was cleared. He told her of what Agil had sent him in an e-mail. Yui checked the image and was sure that it was her mommy. Just then Suguha came right into his room, and challenged him to yet another duel. It seemed that since he managed to beat her that one time, she saw him as something she needed to best.

It really upset her to no end. Here was her brother who had abandoned Kendo practice, and by extension her. He did no practice, or participate in any competitions. He pretty much turned into something she called, a complete electronics and computer geek. He gets stuck in that game for so long and then when he finally comes out of it. After she spent so much time looking after him, to do what? to thank her for her hard work, or for her tender care of him? No, he comes back like nothing has ever happened. He even had the gull to ask her to help him with his rehab without as much as a thank you for all her time she spent looking after him, while he was stuck in the game and in that awful hospital.

To her surprise the rehab did not take nearly as long as she expected. Not only that his rehab was essentially Kendo practice, the subject he was supposed to be a complete beginner at. She kept telling him that he should use only 1 bamboo sword. He kept complaining that it was simply to light. He kept asking if they had some metal swords instead. She just told him that a master would use them, but a beginner had no business in handling something that dangerous. He was upset for several reasons. He needed to get into fighting form. But these practice swords just felt wrong. He had to give up wearing armor that was comfortable. Then he had to use these flimsy sticks, what next had to take lessons in something he already knew? He just got sick of the way Suguha was treated him, and so he made the biggest mistake he could. He told her that he would decide his rehab intensity if he won a duel against her. She told him that when he lost he would have to obey her instructions without any further back talk. They both agreed.

The duel was in the family practice room. His family was major practitioners of Kendo since his great grandfathers time. His great grandfather had a nice set of armor and Kazuto decided to wear regulation armor, not wanting to give his sister the excuse that he had better armor. She nearly fell over from her loud laughter as she saw him take not 1 bamboo swords but 2. When he had the swords in hand the friendly demeanor that he had before disappeared. He waited till the bell they had set up sounded before he attacked. His time in Aincrad had not been without merit. He used one sword to block Suguha's attacks and made some attacks of his own. It took just 4 minutes before Suguha was on the ground beaten. He told her that they could fight until she felt like admitting her loss. He kept complaining that the bamboo swords were lousy little twigs. This upset her more and more, and so she kept losing faster and faster. It had been 5 when their mother screamed at them to drop what they were doing, and for them to enter the house for dinner.

Suguha was not a gracious loser, she kept making excuses that he won because he was either older, or that she was a frail delicate young lady. When he said that he reminded her that the delicate little lady how many time did she beat her boyfriend up for doing something like professing his love for her. He had met him one day as he walked her from practice at her school. Suguha was the captain of her school's kendo team after all. He looked at the poor guy and took him to one side and told him, "Look, I feel for you. I really do. My advice is find some other girl to have a romantic relationship." He flat out denied that there could be anyone else. "Ok, It's your funeral. I rather have a sweet kind girl, but if you want to court a girl that is more likely to kill you than kiss you. Just don't come crying to me."

The day that he was supposed to meet with Agil, he decided to visit Asuna. It simply did not feel right not to visit his beloved wife. He was greeted by the many nurses and doctors. He asked the doctor in charge of his wife's treatment an update. Thanks to the SAO reality laws he was clearly recognized by the staff of the hospital as her legitimate husband. He still had to tell his father-in law about it but he hoped that when he did, he would take the news well. He walked into her hospital room and saw him looking at Asuna, next to him was a man wearing glasses. His aide he quickly thought as he greeted the man. "Kirigaya, I am happy to see that you are still taking care of my baby girl." Kazuto quickly told him that he would always look after her. "Ah, yes Kirigaya I almost forgot this man in Sugao he is in charge of our VR deparment in my company." Sugao tried to act as a complete fan boy, and the man explained that this young man was Kirito. The savior of the people who had been trapped in SAO. He rushed him, and greeted him with a handshake.

"Sir, I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I really think we should discuss the coming wedding." Kazuto asked the man who was getting married. "Oh, Sugao and Asuna are in an arranged marriage. They will marry as soon as she is considered an adult." Sugao was trying very hard not to look smug, but he did look that way to Kazuto. "I understand that you took care of her, while in SAO. I imagine that this was a surprise." He took a rather stoic look on his face, he was captain of the royal guard, and a fiend in SAO. He was not a helpless little boy, as Sugao believed.

"Excuse me sir, do you remember the SAO reality laws?" Asuna's father quickly stopped where he was standing. "Yes, I am very well aware of those laws, Kirigaya. Is there some issue with me and my daughter regarding those laws." Sugao wanted to dismiss Kazuto with the standard excuse that the president had a busy schedule. "I was not simply living together as roommates, as someone apparently thinks." He was looking directly at Sugao. "Asuna and I married in SAO. We even had a small daughter. Sadly our daughter was born in SAO as a fully actualized AI. I am working hard to find a way to bring our child to this world." The man had to sit down on her daughter's bed. "So that is why your mention of those laws. I see, I happen to be feeling rather shocked with the news." Sugao was about to call the entire thing a lie when Asuna's father did something that made him not so happy. "I had no idea that I had a grandchild. Sugao cancel all my appointments, and return to the office. I will spend the rest of the day talking with my son-in law. I want to hear all about your wedding, and of course about my grandchild. My wife would more than likely want to hear about it too. So I need to know more so I can tell her." Sugao looked like he had tasted something incredibly bitter as he left them and headed off to the office.

Kazuto and his father-in law spent the day talking about the wedding, his marriage with his daughter and even their precious daughter, Yui. The man could not be happier, he was smiling and laughing at the antics the couple had shared, or what his granddaughter was capable of doing. His precious daughter had finally married and he was happy it was someone who truly loved Asuna. "Kazuto my company is very much a family business. From what you told me I would be happy to help you with your project of bringing my granddaughter to our world. I have the resources and materials to help you in any way. My beloved wife will simply be happy beyond belief when I tell her all this." The man was about to leave when he turned around and saw him whisper something to Asuna, and kissed her on her lips. He left the couple alone. "I hope Asuna wakes, I know that I would do anything if the same happened to my beloved wife." Asuna's father told himself as he walked towards a taxi Sugao had arranged for him.

Kazuto arrived at the bar, and was surprised with how empty it was. "Agil, what gives? I know you are a better business man than this. Where are the customers?" Agil laughed and greeted him by knocking their fist together. "Hey, this is just my off day man. Come on the weekend and you will have nowhere to sit. Can I get you anything?" Kazuto sit down on a stool. "2 things actually. A hope to revive my beloved wife, and a cup of coffee black, with 2 sugars." Agil laughed. "Way ahead of you my man. Way ahead of you. You look so young, but I still remember you always having coffee in my old shop." He gave him his cup of coffee, and as Kazuto tasted it he smiled. "Good coffee."

Agil laughed, "Hey of course we have good coffee, we needed something for the designated driver after all." He reached under the counter and gave him a box. "This is your hope of reviving your wife, I found this information while I played it myself. It's a world of fairies. I know you, you will pick the fairy that dresses in black. That would be the spriggans. I happen to be the leader of them, so I will be able to help you build alliances and connections to fight the one holding your beloved wife." He took the box and was about to pay him back for it, when Agil flatly refused. He told Kazuto that he had saved him from the death game, no help would be enough to repay him for that. Kazuto left with his new game, and saw that he did not need any new gear from the manual inside the box.

Suguha saw him walk into the living room with a game in hand. She quickly took it from him, and told him that he had just returned from a death game, and he would risk getting trapped in a new one. She looked down and saw that she had nothing to worry about, she played that game too. She did not tell him about that, so he handed him his copy of the game. "Look Suguha, I think somehow my beloved wife is in this game. I think someone is holding her against her will. I am going not to play but to search and rescue the one person that means more than my life." Suguha did not like to hear that and left almost in tears as she slammed the door to her room, and a whimper was heard as he followed her and heard through her door. She kept repeated the same thing, calling him a dummy, and continued to beat the stuffing out of her pillow.

He quickly inserted the game into his nervegear, and when he went through the character creation process. He did make a spriggan character, he had more than enough practice with weapons to ever consider the need for magic, he would learn if he had to. He had finished with the character creation and was in the typical prologue solo area. He quickly looked at his inventory and saw that there was a major bug, all his items were not recognized, and why did he have items at all? He just started playing. He looked at his skills and could not believe it. All his skills values from SAO were present. He called Yui, which she appeared. "Yui I think I need your help." Yui quickly hugged him, and told him that she would be happy to help her daddy. She closed her eyes and saw that her daddy's inventory was indeed the items from SAO, so where his skills. They were all there except for dual sword skills. She did something that shocked Kirito and called for Cardinal to help too. "Why are you calling Cardinal here?" He had just asked as a three legged crow landed on his shoulder. "I have always been with you too, Kirito. Now let me see about your inventory and skills." She quickly realized that the problem was that the Cardinal from this game was an older version of herself. She quickly localized the inventory and simply removed his dual sword skills from the list. Dual swords was not an ability in the game he was in after all. He quickly changed into the equivalent of his old gear. Cardinal even game him some information about drop rate and exp rate on this game.

"So this is a modified copy of SAO?" He asked Cardinal, and she quickly told him that it seemed so. "How do we keep both of you hidden?" Cardinal laughed and answered that she would act as his familiar. Yui could act as his navigation pixie. She quickly took her pixie form and flew into his pocket. Cardinal became a black runed bracelet and attached herself to his right wrist. She told him to call on her just tap the bracelet.

Thanks to his old gear, and his skills he went through the prologue area quicker than anyone. When he appeared on the main area of the Spriggan's home town he was greeted by a big, muscular, bald and black Spriggan wearing some really detailed gear. "So Kirito, How do you like our homeland." Kirito looked at Agil, how in the world he managed to look exactly the same as he did in SAO. "Do they have any decent coffee?" Agil laughed and patted him on the back. "Sure do, come on to my office so we can get started on making contacts. The more friends you have, the easier it will be to find Asuna." The two friends left towards Agil's office. His adventure in the land of fairies was just starting and he had a pair of reliable allies. Things were definitely looking up.


	31. Chapter 31

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Thanks to a very hard, and difficult training session with Cardinal, he managed to master his flying technique within a single day. She took the appearance of a bird, I guess she would know quite a few things about flying. He had tried to do as Agil asked him for a few days. Agil felt that if he talked with people, he would form contacts that much faster. The problem was that Agil, was a business man, he loved negotiating, and dealing with double talk. After his 20th business appointment, he marched right into his office, looking like he was ready to kill someone. All 20 appointments had been a living hell. He expected to meet with serious business people, dealing with the trade of either some item, or some equipment, but no. His meetings had been 15 women and 5 guys lying about a business proposal, so they could proposition him to date. Now one could take the answer he gave them seriously. He flat out told them that he was married, and the father of one girl. The guys had asked him since they heard that he was not accepting any female player request to date. They simply assumed that he had shall we say an alternative taste when it came to dating.

After 5 guys asked him out he decided that was more than enough. He looked at Agil who was looking rather confused. Did this guy ever spend any time reading his business proposals, or did he simply assigned them to someone to deal with? "Agil, I got an bone to pick with you!" Agil put down his tea cup. "Kirito why the angry look? Did something go wrong with the business appointment?" Kirito simply took out one of his blades and pointed it at him. He gave him the universal understood look of don't mess with me! "So I take that as a yes, why not simply sit down, calm down, and tell me all about it?" He threw his sword to be right next to his chair, and it was clearly stuck on the floor. "Oh, yo want to talk about it, fine, lets talk about it." He sat down and decided to spare Agil no mercy when it came to the details of those meetings. He told him of every single meeting and every single thing he endured on them. By the end he was sure Agil was both very sorry and would have nightmares for a solid month. "I see, they sent the request for those appointments as serious equipment crafting negotiations, You must have felt like I was pimping you." Kirito took his blade and put it back on the appropriate sheath on his back. "Look Agil, I could see that maybe you wanted to find me a way to relax, but I told you who my wife is. I would sooner jump into an active volcano than cheat on my beloved wife. So here is the deal, send me on some treasure hunt quests, make me do paperwork, hell make me a combat instructor for our territory. Because I swear if you send me on one more of these appointments I might end up killing the idiot that made that request. And be thankful this is not the old death game, because as it is. I would still kill the idiot even if it was."

Agil could clearly see, several things. One was that Kirito was as he called it royally pissed. Second was that he was serious about taking any other kind of job. Lastly he needed to work out some of his frustrations and anger before he got to meet with anybody. Agil was not an idiot, he knew those requests were in fact veiled attempts to ask him out. He figured a few pleasant dates, and all this negativity around him would vanish, but he never figured that he was so very much against cheating on his wife. He heard that people Kirito's age changed love interests faster than they change shoes. He was truly surprised to see Kirito in such a committed relationship. He did not assign him as a combat instructor, he figured half of all spriggans would go rogue with in a week to escape him. He knew of one job that nobody wanted. It had been called a treasure hunting job, but it was not as easy or peaceful as some figured. The job was take the name of a monster and get a drop item from the mentioned monster. Doesn't sound so bad does it? Well it was worse. The monster drop rate for these items was low, and the monsters were very tough, and in great numbers. The title of the job was Monster Bounty Hunter. When Kirito agreed to the position. The entire territory heard as they all received a notice of the new Monster Bounty Hunter. This was done to make sure everyone who had request now could make it. The fee for it was substantial. Kirito was not going to be hurting for col after a few of these requests. He still had all the col from Aincrad, so he would use the new income to get stronger.

A month at the position and everyone was speechless. There was no monster they could request and no item they could put in a request that Kirito did not kill, and bring back said item. Some of the spriggans were speechless as to how he could succeed and have no magic skills at all. Some made a request that were considered impossible. He still managed to fulfill the request and in record time. He walked into Agil's office and delivered the metal that he had requested. To be specific Iron Ribs from a monster that was thought to be impossible to kill. As he walked out and Agil was shouting in sheer joy, a decision was made by some of the people around the office. They had another request for Kirito. They requested that they be tough how to be as tough as him, and a request for Kirito to form a guild in the Spriggan territory. A solid month later, 60 Spriggans had finished his training program, or as they called it boot camp. Their skills had simply grown exponentially. They could abandon him after they saw the result of the training, but no. They were very loyal to Kirito. That was the day that the most infamous guild was born. The Spriggan Mercenary Guild was it's name on paper. The infernal monster reapers was what jealous players called them behind their backs.

The guild became an absolute force to be respected by all in the spriggan territories. Over 20 of the members were clearly extremely beautiful lady spriggans and they guarded their Guild Master with a ferocity that only an incredibly tough monster could show. Each and every one of the guild knew, the Guild Master was tough, smart, determined and fair. These girls knew that he was kind, respectful and a true friend. For a group that only had guys hit on them for their physical beauty, having a person value them for more than their looks, a true friend, a true ally and an extremely capable leader. This person was a treasure beyond col or beyond dating. They would fight and grow, they would show their worth to the guild and never ever risk losing that treasure. He had told them the real reason why he did not date, when the guild asked him if he was gay. He told them all about his precious daughter, married life, and lastly about his beloved wife, who he loved more than life itself. The guys never made a joke about it again, one girl was heard saying at the end of the meeting, "His wife is the luckiest bitch in the entire world." Some of the other players just had to nod their heads in agreement.

As Kirito was about to finish a request, he saw something that bugged him. Why were salamanders chasing a pair of Sylphs in their territory. The only place the monster he was hunting could be found was in a forest in the Sylph territory. He accepted the request that a person made to his guild. He knew that as tough as his members were they had to fight a long time alone to reach the forest. He took it, and his guild just told him to be sure to bring them a nice trophy for the guild hall. He saw a short, sylph try and buy this blond lady sylph time to escape, and he and a salamander burst into flames, the penalty for dying on this game was harsh, he knew that player was going to feel it when he recovered. He followed the lady sylph as she landed and had her back against truck of a massive tree. 3 salamanders against one blond lady sylph. It was the cheer injustice of it that made him jump from the branch of the very tree she had her back to. He landed a powerful dive kick on a charging salamander. He was forced against a fellow salamander and they both fell in a heap on the ground. "Hey, what gives? Mind your own business noob." One of the salamanders said as he got up. "3 salamanders against 1 girl. Do you think that is a fair fight?" The leader of the party had to look at the young man, and with a smile on his face he answered, "You would be correct. It is not fair, if you are a tough guy why don't you do something about it." As the two rushed him they hardly saw him take out his swords. One was cut into 3 chunks and burst into flames, the other was cut in half right across his gut. Each time the light of the flames lit up his black armor and he saw a symbol. "The Spriggan Mercenary Guild. Those idiots had no chance against one of them." The leader was heard saying. "So, even salamanders know about us. I don't know whether to feel proud or sad that so few people know of us." The salamander told the sylph to put her sword away, he was not dumb enough to attack her while she was under that guild member's protection. "Oh, most high ranking salamanders hire that guild to get them good items and gear. I got this spear from my request to the guild master." He looked at the spear and remembered, "Dusk Wolves, Iron Fang Spear right?" The leader looked at him and had to ask him if he knew the Guild Master. Kirito smiled, and said, "Know him? I am the Guild Master of the Spriggan Mercenary Guild." The party leader smiled and told him it was a pleasure finally meeting him in person. He took off and left a very confused sylph who was not sure what would happen next.


	32. Chapter 32

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The young blond sylph was more and more confused. This was sylph territory, why would a spriggan. Let alone the guild master of the Spriggan Mercenary Guild be doing on their territory. "Excuse me, but if I am rude, but what is a spriggan doing on sylph territory?" Kirito was busy taking care of the last bit he needed to do for the request, he cleaned a monster drop with special cleaning fluid. The item was cursed until he had finished cleansing it. It was a beautiful katana. "Oh, nothing major. I am simply fulfilling a request that a sylph made to our guild. Do you happen to know a person named Sakuya by any chance?" The young woman was shocked to hear that he was doing a request for her leader. "There is no sylph that does not know her. I am Leafa. Mind telling me your name?" He looked at her and smiled, "Kirito, well Leafa I hope that you will excuse me. But I got to deliver this item. Wouldn't want to make my client mad." He spread his wings and took off. Leafa followed him, at it was clear as day that he was headed toward Swilvane. She really had to put an effort to catch up to him. "Kirito you do know that you are headed to the sylph capital, right?" He did not seem that bothered by it. He looked at Leafa, "Ms. Leafa I know that I would be an easy target by any sylph that wished to kill me. I am defenseless on this territory. But sylphs also go to neutral territories. There are 2 consequences of killing me. First the sylph would never again be able to request anything from my guild. My members are extremely loyal to me and each other. Second those members would not rest till they found my killer in a neutral territory and exact a very painful and costly revenge on the person. To attack and kill a person where he can not defend himself or herself is a major crime to those of my guild." Leafa wanted to tell her to simply call her by her name, but she was distracted by the emerald city that she loved so much.

As Kirito landed, and began to walk towards the main government building. He was greeted by several guards. He was escorted to where Sakuya was doing paperwork on a very nice office. Her desk was an excellent detailed carved desk, the chairs seemed to be padded with some very nice and soft materials, the room looked official and yet welcoming. "You must be Kirito, do you happen to have what I requested?" He walked over to her and sat down. "I happen to just finish getting your item, when I came across 3 salamanders hunting 2 sylphs. A short one died, before I could reach them, a young lady sylph is fine. I believe she said her name was a Ms. Leafa." Sakuya was looking rather concerned about salamander player killers in their territory. "I see, well I am sorry for the extra bother. Can I have the item, I might need to have it cleanse after all." He stood up briefly, and called up the katana and laid it on her desk. "No need, I knew it was cursed so I cleansed it."

Taking the katana is hand, and feeling the weight. She smiled, "I see that your guild does good work. Thank you, Kirito. I will be sure to add something extra when I send my payment to your guild." Kirito simply looked at her waiting to hear her reasons. She quickly opened a message sent by Leafa and told him that her subordinate just sent her a message telling her about his rescue of her. Kirito smiled and got up ready to leave. "Don't send anything extra. Just the amount we agreed upon. Doing a good deed is it's own reward." Kirito left the office with that. Sakuya could hardly believe what she heard. But it made her smile, she was sure to recommend his guild with other high ranking sylph.

"So Kirito would you let me invite you to a small meal?" Kirito told her what he told her leader. No need to reward a good deed. "No, that is not it. I simply would like to know more about your guild. I have a feeling that we might know each other. The way you fight and the way you act. I just want to ask you some questions to be sure."

Kirito followed when he saw the short previously killed sylph running towards them, screaming her name. Leafa was surprised to see her friend Recon look so full of life, he was always the shy, and timid kind. "Recon for the last time, please you only need to wave. You sort of stick out without having to call my name." Recon quickly apologized as he reached her. "Spriggan! Leafa why haven't you killed this spy?"Kirito looked offended at the accusation. "Spy? this is Kirito he came to do a request for Sakuya, and saved my life." She turned to face Kirito and bowed. "So sorry, Kirito. I think Recon jumped to conclusions, like he often does." It was then that a pixie came out and sat on his shoulder, "I think he should be the one to apologize, don't you think so daddy?" They both look at the small pixie and were confused. "Is that a private pixie? and why would she call her his daddy?" They both asked. "Oh, this is Yui she is a private pixie, but to me she is my precious little girl." He tapped the bracelet and turned into a 3 legged crow that landed on his wrist. "And this is my good friend and familiar Cardinal." Cardinal bowed in greeting and turned back into a bracelet. "You should forgive her, she is rather shy with new acquaintances. So mind telling me why do you still have your hand on your dagger?" Kirito looked at Recon. "So sorry, reflex."

"So does your friend want to join us in that drink?" Kirito asked Leafa, and she looked at him with a frown. "I said I will buy you a small meal, not a drink. And if he decided to come. He pays for his own meal!" Kirito and Yui looked at each other and the both believed that this was what was called, a lover's quarrel. "Actually I came to tell you that our group is in the usual place. Sigurd was asking if you would join us there." Leafa told him quite flatly, no. She promised Kirito a small meal for saving her. As she was not going he decided to go with them. She explained what Kirito was doing in their territory and it could be true. But he did not trust the spriggans in general.

As they sat down he waited for a rather cute waitress to take their orders. Leafa and Recon sitting on one side of the table. Yui on the other. He asked for an extra bowl as they delivered their meals. He set down the bowl and took a piece of bread from his meal. He cut the bread in small pieces and tapped his bracelet. The crow looked happy at this friendly gesture. She began to eat the bread with gusto. "So what did you want to ask me about?" Kirito looked at Leafa, "Well about you and your guild?" she answered and Recon listened. He might have to tell his to Sigurd after all. Kirito quickly explained how he hated to do non-combat missions, so he did a few monster hunting and item retrieval missions instead, from his success at them people joined him, when there where enough they formed a guild. They were considered completely independent. They took request from anyone regardless of race. Their main goal was to form friendships and be able to stop conflicts before they got really started. "Ok, so can anyone join?" Kirito looked at her and smiled, "If they can be dedicated enough to train like we can, sure. Anyone can you. We have a few undine, salamanders, and even an imp. If we get a member from another race, we get to learn about their abilities and home territory." Recon understood it as intelligence is power, she understood it as friends learning from each other.

Cardinal finished her meal and took a sip from his cup. She turned into a bracelet, but not before touching her beak on the side on his face. "So Kirito why do you use a pair of swords. You know there is no skill for that way right?" Kirito smiled and told them that it was something he got used to from using that way of fighting for over a year in another game. Leafa quickly told them about the now finished and erased game called Sword Art Online. She heard from Recon that the only player to use dual sword skills was the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath. It appears Recon was a low level member of the Knights, and was very proud on how they were the ones to save everyone from the death game. Asuna did not know that he was in the same game as her brother. He told her that he got into the game late, and was only member of the Knights for 3 months. Since he was so low in level he was assigned to desk duty. "Actually the leader assigned you to be in their boot camp, but you send a rather humble letter to him, begging him not to bother. That making another player train him was a waste of a talent player." Recon was surprised to hear that. "So how do you know what he wrote in his leader to his leader?" Kirito finished his meal, and saw that Yui was done eating and flew into his pocket. She looked outside of it and smiled, "Why? cause my daddy was the leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath." Yui looked really proud of her daddy. Leafa was stuttering and Recon looked like he made a big mistake.

"So Big Brother, when were you going to tell me that you were again in an VRMMORPG?" Leafa asked him looking rather angry. "Just as soon as my little sister decided to tell me about her being a sylph." He took a drink from his cup, seeing it empty ordered a refill. The waitress was more than happy to get him one. "But how did you know it was me?" Kirito laughed, "I don't know anyone who holds their sword as tightly as you do. I told you many times, relax and think of the sword as an extension of yourself. But did you ever listen?" Recon did believe it was good advice. "So I guess I really should call you Auntie shouldn't I daddy?" Yui asked and he simply nodded. "What is your plan for all the col your are making?" Recon asked.

"He took his refill from the waitress and thanked her, she smiled. "Just plan to get enough to equip my guys to take the world tree, but first I need to form alliances with 3 other races, and if lucky 4." Recon interrupted telling him that there was no way other races would cooperate. The race that reached the fairy king would get the reward all the others would get nothing. Kirito said he did not want a reward he simply wanted his beloved treasure that had been stolen from him. Leafa quickly understood what he meant. He often called his family his beloved treasures. He must mean Asuna, his wife. "So what would you say if I joined your guild?" Kirito looked at Leafa surprised. "What about your friend?" Recon quickly told him that he would stay behind in Sylph territory. There was something odd with Sigurd after all. He would spy on him and report if he found out anything.

Kirito agreed to his plan, if something was odd, he would be perfect to spy on Sigurd. He would never be considered a threat after all. He quickly send the invitation to Leafa and she accepted. The moment she accepted a guild symbol appeared over her left side of her armor, it was where it covered her left breast. "Ok, with a new recruit I think we should go on a little training trip. Boot camp starts as soon as we leave this town. So be ready to change your gear." Leafa looked confused, until she saw a letter arrive. It was a letter of welcome and it had a box called. Guild Gear. "We provide Gear made by our crafting staff. The members contribute to the guild funds after all."

As he finished the drink, he paid for the meal, Leafa was going to object. "Having my little sister join my guild was more than enough for a thank you. Think of it as a big brother's present if you want." "Where are we going? If we can make it to the town on the base of the world tree, I think we can call you properly trained. Or do you have a suggestion, sis?" Leafa asked if he could do retrieval missions with her instead. "That is harsher than I planned, but alright. Accepted."

As his sister put on the gear, and saw the quality of it, she wished that she gotten a sword. He told her that she would when they got at their headquarters and finished her boot camp. It was the reward for finishing training after all. Recon was practically drooling. If she looked beautiful in her normal gear, the guild gear made her look right down hot. "Kirito make sure she stays out of trouble." Kirito reminded him that he was her brother. They walked over to the tower where Kirito and Leafa would leave for their training and headquarters. As they reached the inside, they were greeted by 3 heavy armored and armed sylphs. "So Leafa planing to abandon our group and becoming a renegade. You even discarded your normal gear, how could you abandon your territory and your own people like this?"Leafa was going to respond when Kirito stepped in front of him. "Leafa is a free person, not your property or your slave. Continue to insult my recruit and I will tell Sakuya about your actions against my guild." Sigurd did not like the tone in Kirito's voice. He took a sword and was ready to strike. He was stopped when the player saw the symbol of the guild, especially his rank. The crown on top of the symbol meant that he was the leader. "Why did you stop me. We must stop Leafa from abandoning us." The player quickly whispered to him that if he was sure that he wanted the Spriggan Mercenary Guild after him. Sigurd looked shocked. The player continued to mention that the guy he wanted to kill was the leader. "Leave, Leafa but I don't ever want to see you again." As they reached the top of the tower, Yui asked if Sigurd was her lover. Leafa quickly looked at Yui and with an angry look on her face she told her, "**I would not want to do anything of that kind with that freak! Sigurd is a narcissistic sexual predator that is all.**"If Sigurd was upset that Leafa left before, he was now more upset as everyone in the tower were giving him looks of disapproval, well what else would they do after hearing what Leafa had said. Sigurd was going to look for a chance to avenge this humiliation. Sakuya heard what happened and he laughed so hard that she had trouble breathing. "Ah, I needed that. Serves that Sigurd for thinking all the girls in his group loved him. I feel exactly the same as Leafa. I wouldn't date him if he was the last sylph in all of Alfheim."


	33. Chapter 33

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Kirito began to fly towards a nearby neutral town. Agil being a merchant, he had ahabit of making regional trade and job request boards. The people love them, they could post all sorts of requests and arrange for safe trades between people. But Kirito also knew that he could send secret messages to his spy network. Intelligence is power, and knowing what the different leaders of all these races bought and sold gave him a pretty good view on how and where the world was moving towards. Trends, supply and demand. These kept businessman alive.

As he landed on the town, he walked towards a billboard, the was an off symbol, and as he got closer he recognized it. It was a seal letter for him, from someone in his Spriggan territory. He began reading it and could hardly believe it. He had to make a quick detour on his sister's training trip. "Leafa, travel plans have been modified. It looks like someone is trying to kill the current Undine leader. I got a request to be his bodyguard. I will understand if you do not want to come. It must be boring for you. So I will tell you the coordinates of one of my most trusted drill instructors. Don't worry, you will like her."

Leafa put a stop to that in a few seconds. "Look, brother. I want to train and be tough, true. But I also want to see my big brother fight, and spend some time with you. How about we both go to your job, and the trip could be my training. I can be a big help, I am probably better than you are at magic. They didn't have that in Sword Art Online after all." How could he refuse and not look like he wanted to get some serious work done, without constantly worring for his sister. "Alright, but be sure to never let your health drop below 70% heal and then fight. I do not accept death and respawn practices. You fight to live." As they both finish buying supplies he also saw him buy a rather big metal ball, with lots of holes in it. "Decorating your house? because if you are, that is the ugliest decoration I have ever seen." Leafa told him and he smiled, "This is a little something I need to make a surprise for the would-be assassins. Trust me, you will be really surprised."

As the pair was flying towards the Undine territory, they found out why the Undine had to be masters of healing and resurrection magic. The monsters were unbelievable. They could regenerate even if you cut all their limbs. That only slowed them down, but not by much. Kirito and Leafa were fighting against a group, when it hit Leafa to treat attack them on their heads. As soon as the head was separated from the body, the monster died for good, but somewhere in her mind she had a feeling, the notion that her brother knew that already, and this was nothing more than a test. "So brother, when were you going to tell me about their weak points?" Kirito dodged a stone thrown at him. "I don't know, maybe until you learned to rely on others and ask?" That was when it hit her, this was a teamwork exercise for him. "You do realize these monsters could have killed us?" Kirito laughed, and looked at her with a smile. "I could tell you that it served as motivation to learn, but in reality if you ever were in real trouble, I would have stepped in and finished them off, you were really in no danger of dying." Leafa did not believe a word of it, just an excuse for his carelessness. "Ok, teach. Here is what we will do. We find a group of these monsters and lets see how quickly you defeat them." Kirito smiled and asked what the bet was. "If you lose you admit that you are not paying attention. But if you win, I will obey every single instruction, without a single complaint." Kirito liked that bet, so they sealed the bet with a handshake.

The traveled on foot from that moment on. It did not take them more than 10 minutes before sure enough the same monsters had found them, and it was a group m double the size of the previous. Leafa took off and landed on a nearby tree branch, to look. Kirito took both his swords and in less than 4 minutes he had finished killing the entire group of 50 monsters. Leafa was speechless, she kept repeating, the same questions over and over, "How? When? and You did what? this is impossible, Where did you? " She kept repeating until she was over her shock. "A deal is a deal, You will kill 10 of these monsters per day during our trip. You will study your sword motions and not really so much on the motion assistance from the game, and last but not least you will learn to take better care of your gear. Basic maintenance techniques that every one should know. If I can kill monster not using sword attacks from the skill list, so can you." She wanted to scream that it was not fair, how could she be compared to a former hero from another game. It was comparing Pee Wee Herman with Hulk Hogan. But he figured that she would make that comparison, and he would simply answer that they were both movie actors.

After 3 days of fighting, learning, and silently screaming from frustration. She managed to increase her level by a 5. Her equipment was better taken care off, which would save her a lot in the long run. The monsters knew about every single sword skill in the game lists, by not using only game sword skills, but actually using your own sword as a real sword. She was able to confuse the monsters in a few instances and in those she killed said monster rather quickly. As they reached the Undine Capital, which was rather nice. He turned and smiled at her, "The element of surprise can be your best friend or your greatest weakness. Pay attention to your surroundings." He pointed one of his swords at near by salamander, "And if you do not want to die, return this lady her pursue, and apologize." The young looking salamander did as he was told, he apologized for doing that, she just looked like an easy mark. "Like I said, beat it, and think what you feel if someone did the same to you!" The salamander left, "Like I said, be aware of your surroundings. We are here to be bodyguards. We can not be caught unawares."

Leafa was about to tell him, that she never figured that someone would do that. Killing monsters and selling the drops to shops was good enough to make a good amount of col. As she saw Kirito great a very pretty Undine lady, he motioned to get closer. He tapped his pocket and Yui came out and sat on his shoulder. "Leafa, this is my good friend Yulier, she is the wife to my other good friend Thinker. I hope that you both are doing well. You of course remember my precious little girl, Yui." Yui flew right next to Yulier, and kissed her check. "Why did you kiss her, Yui?" Yui just told her she was her godmother. Yulier smiled and looked rather happy to see both Kirito and Yui. "This is Leafa, my newest member, my student, and my sister." Yulier walked over to her and offered her understanding on how tough her life was. "And what do you mean by that?" Yulier reminded him on how he made her guild in Sword Art Online train. He simply told her that they never complained about the results.

Yulier told them to follow her to her family home. It was rather modest, specially since Thinker was the leader of the Undines. She opened the door and as the walked in they saw Thinker reading something while drinking some tea, he put down the papers and his teacup. He simply got up and walked to where Kirito greeted him by knocking their fist together. "So it is good to see you Kirito, I feel much safer with you as my bodyguard. Who is the young lady with you?" Yulier told him what Kirito had told her. "So Thinker last time when we first met you were in trouble, so tell me what seemed to be the trouble now?" Thinker could not help but to laugh and offered them a seat, Yui went inside his pocket. "Kirito, for the past few days I had death threats and someone been following me from work to my home. From what my most skilled mage told me the person who wrote this was a fire magic user." Kirito looked at the possibilities, but the pickpocket came to mind. "So we are dealing with a single assassin or a group of them, and they appear to be salamanders. Any reason why you should be targeted by the salamanders?" Yulier decided to interrupt. "Well, Thinker and I were kind of wanting to make an alliance with your race, Kirito. We remember Agil and his business and we had hoped to become allies. I guess this was not liked by some people, and those people where salamanders or they hired the salamanders to stall our chance to form an alliance with the Spriggans."

He sat looked at the situation in all the possible ways, he could stay and be a guard, but that would take a long time. Time was not something he had much to spare. But there was something else he could do, and this would finish with both the negotiations for the alliance and eliminate the killers. He wrote a small letter to Agil, and he only mentioned the important details, as he finished he put it down. "I have an idea, and I would go ahead and do it after you both agree. I will ask Agil to let me negotiate the formation of the alliance on the Spriggans side. This will be known by the killers and most likely will attack during the supposed meeting. Me and Leafa will take care of the attackers, and this will sever as a way to stop future threats. With me and you forming the alliance, then both Spriggans and Undine will benefit as you had wished to do, before these threats. So how about it?" Yulier and Thinker thank him, and agreed to do as he proposed, Kirito tapped his bracelet and a 3 legged crow picked up the letter and took off to deliver it. Cardinal loved to fly, she was more than happy to deliver the letter, and the fact that it was dangerous made her even more excited.

"You must be tired from your long trip, how about we continue early tomorrow? Yulier can show you to our guest room, and you both can have a nice home cooked meal with us. I think Kirito and I have a lot of things to catch up on." Leafa was not going to turned down the offer, she would get a chance to log off and have some dinner, she could even ask him about his wife and what he was really doing in the game he was in at the moment. Yui kissed her daddy on the cheek and told him that she agreed. As both agreed they decided to take them up on their kind offer.


	34. Chapter 34

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

Much to Suguha's surprise Kazuto did not log off, as she had. He actually seemed like he slept the whole night log into the game. He must be having a nice dream from the look on his face, and he would sometimes repeat a name, over and over. Asuna this and Asuna that. She made a point in asking who this Asuna was, and why she was so important to him. As far as she tried, she could not remember anyone named Asuna in any of his school classes or any of his friends. She simply could not remember her.

It was pretty early in the morning, and she decided to take a bath and a small bowl of breakfast cereal. How could he stand having that on his head all the time, then she remembered that he lived for long time with the nervegear on. She guessed that a day was nothing compared to what he has been through.

Kirito woke up and saw the smiling face of his precious little girl. "Good morning, daddy. You think your friends can tell us where we can have breakfast. I miss mommy. She made the yummiest eggs and toast." Kirito smiled at his daughter, "I miss her too, Yui. We have a long day, be sure to wash your teeth, and take your pixie form before you leave the bathroom." She made a beeline to the bathroom. There were some toothpaste and a few sealed brushes. Yulier had gotten them a toothbrush for him, and Yui while they slept. Which really made him notice that he was not a light sleeper. He didn't even hear her open the door, walk into the bathroom and placing the toothpaste or the toothbrushes. He asked Yui and she told him it happened around midnight. He was snoring up a storm. He asked her if he was really snoring. She had to tell him that even her mommy used to mention to her, "I should find you daddy a sleep aid, his snoring will end up waking the neighbors." That was one of the things her mommy told her. She told him since her daddy was a fiend. Snoring was the least of the things to worry about. If he starts sleepwalking and tries to eat a player while the poor guy was alive, then that was something to worry about. When Yui mentioned all these things to Kirito he laughed, and smiled, "Well that brother of mine had to sleep with a foot chained to the wall. Did Velvet tell you about that?" Yui smiled and said that her mommy Velvet told her lots of stories.

As Yui came out of the bathroom, in pixie form she waited for her daddy to finish dressing. When he was ready to exit the guest bedroom, she flew right into his open pocket. She gently touched his bracelet and told it, "Good morning, Cardinal." He was sure Cardinal was saying good morning to him too. It just was taking her longer to wake up.

As Thinker and Yulier looked at him and his daughter and asked him why he didn't log off and came back after having a good breakfast with his family? He never even considered doing that. Yulier had to tell him that he did not have an IV feeding him nutrients anymore. He actually needed to eat. Thinker was feeling rather embarrassed seeing his wife act like that. "I can do that later, now why don't you tell me about how you two been doing?" Kirito asked Thinker. Yulier sat down right next to her husband, and was not happy about the way he answered. "Well Kirito, you might not know this, but Asuna is also an Undine. But since she is missing I was elected the Undine leader, my beloved wife is the best at dealing with our troublemakers and training. Once a troublemaker receives an infamous Yulier multi-slap. That guy will never again cause trouble again." Yulier had to remind him that he last to receive such a slap was because they made a comment that she needed to show off her figure more. The only thing he could say after that was that Yulier was good at discipline then, no brats from this marriage he mentioned, and Yulier made a fist, "You better believe it!" After seeing that Thinker nearly choked on his coffee from his sudden fit of laughter.

As the time became morning and they were waiting, they all began to question when was his sister ever going to log on. The idea of logging off before going to bed did have a few inconveniences. But Yulier was still saying that he needed to have a good breakfast. It was 10 and suddenly Leafa appeared sitting in a chair where Kirito, Thinker and Yulier where talking the ever growing problem with player killers and dishonest trading. Leafa asked if she missed anything, Kirito almost wanted to tell her that Yulier had dressed in a belly dancer costume and did a dance that would make a monk blush. But he remembered the conversation about discipline and only mentioned that she missed Yulier's delicious scramble eggs and juice. "Wait? You can actually like the in-game food?" Kirito smiled and told her that it depended on who made it. Yulier was a great cook, he told Thinker he was a lucky guy. This made Yulier blush so much you would think that her face was about to burst into flames.

As soon as Leafa was done apologizing for the 30th time for what Kirito said, Yulier told her there was no need, she took it as it was a compliment. She just asked him if his beloved wife was also a good cook. Kirito told her that his wife Asuna was a great cook. He told them that it took a person really caring about the people eating her food, to be such a good cook. Yulier agreed that it was necessary for a person to be a caring person to be a good cook. Leafa had her answer to a question she never even had to ask. Of course he would talk to Asuna in his sleep, he must have been having a dream with her in it.

As they were going to have a conversation that was in an official capacity, Thinker and Yulier gave him and Leafa the grand tour of the capital. The only thing she had to say was that the had some really nice fountains and flowers. Yulier mentioned that the flowers could be used to make some pretty good healing potions. The water in the fountains removed any negative status effects. Everything in the capital had a practical use. They reached the building and saw the guards salute and greet both Thinker and Yulier as they opened the door for them and what they called their visitors. As they reached the desk Thinker told his assistant to postpone all his appointment for today, he had important discussion. He checked his titles and saw that on the list was "Spriggan Ambassador. " At the very least his discussion would be an officially recognized by both races.

"So you wish to form an alliance with us?" Thinker asked. "Yes, I do. I believe that with the cooperation between us we can make player killers regret their choice in activities. My mercenaries will handle the combat and your undine will handle the healing and treatment of victims. My leader could probably also sell some of your potions to other races, and for a small share in the profits he would handle safe trade and advertising." Thinker was liking what he was hearing. "But what is your benefit from this alliance?" Yulier asked Kirito. He simply asked if she meant personal or professional. She smiled and answered with one word, "both." Kirito looked at her with a stoic look on his face, "My professional would be seeing Player Killers punished for their crimes, Our guild hates the abusive nature of player killers. Personal, I need the help of more races so that I can reach the top of the world tree." Thinker asked him if he wanted to complete the grand quest. Kirito told him that he had no interest in that at all. Yulier asked him to clarify what he meant. "My beloved wife is held hostage in a bird cage, on top of the world tree. My personal interest is to save the woman I love, and mother to my precious daughter." If anyone where to look at Kirito's face they would see that he was dead serious about it, the pain of being separated from his beloved was making him unintentionally shed tears. Thinker could understand the pain, as he once felt such pain when he was forcefully separated from Yulier, by Kibaou's trap. "I Thinker Leader of the Undine agree to the terms of the alliance. Let's us work together to protect players from player killers and to improve the live of both our races." He drafted the alliance papers and both signed them. He asked him at long last why he did not show his title. He told him that his work spoke for him.

As soon as the two where ready to leave the Undine Capital, Yulier asked him the question that he never expected, "Kirito, does your guild allow only Spriggan's to join?" He quickly reminded her that Leafa was a sylph and she was a new member to the guild. She seemed to be happy to see that his guild did not discriminate. "I happen to know a good healer that is looking for a guild. She has this stubborn streak of protecting the weak, and a real hunger to see wrongdoers pay for their crimes. These attitudes sometimes made it hard for her to stay in a guild. I was wondering if you would be interested in having her in your guild." Kirito looked at her and told her that the training was hard, and dedication and loyalty were needed. His guild was not for quitters. If this person wanted to join his guild, she should guide him to her, and he would see if she had what was needed. Yulier told him to follow him, and as he walked he saw Thinker thinking that he was ever the same, the brutal drill instructor of the Knights of the Blood Oath. His way of training had saved many lives in the death game, and made his own guild respected by many players if not most.

He saw a female Undine trying to hold as much water as she could, with only using 1 spell. "Romina, care to stop your practice I have someone important I want you to meet." Romina had a particular official haircut, and a beautiful smile. "Yulier, what can I do for you?" Kirito looked at her and had to ask why she practiced that one spell so much, "By practicing that one spell I can increase my magic point limit. That way I can do more, and not have to waste time waiting to regain those points. Also increasing the magic points limit makes it easier and faster to regain those points." Kirito liked her attitude, waste not want not. "So you train a lot?" She looked at him with a serious look on her face, "If I have free time, i train. What's with the questions? and who is this guy Yulier?" Yulier was happy to tell her that this was the Guild Master of the Spriggan Mercenary Guild, Kirito and his newest member Leafa. Leafa did bow as her name was called. "Kirito might decided to recruit you to his guild. That is why he is asking those questions." Romina looked like she hit the jackpot. She heard many things about this guild, and specially their hatred they had for criminals, and player killers they hunted as if they were monsters. "I am loyal, dedicated, and will make every player killer I see, feel what is to be in hell. Train me Master Kirito, I will not disappoint you." With a few gestures he sent her the invitation. She took even less time to accept than Leafa did. "Well Leafa with this new recruit I think we can make a small trip back to the Spriggan Territories to resupply and see if we are needed in the guild. If not we will simply report to Agil the success of our mission, and the formation of the alliance." He began to walk, and Romina thanked Yulier. "Oh, before I forget do not forget to change into your guild gear." She did not understand what he was talking about, so Leafa took the initiative and told her about the guild gear. She changed into it and saw that it was of very good quality. When they left the Undine territory they felt like someone was watching them.


	35. Chapter 35

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

As Kirito felt the presence following them, he quickly made use of one of his Spriggan abilities, his spells where fired as quickly as he finished whispering the incantation in rapid succession. 100 feet around there where blanketed by a dark and menacing smoke. "Alright you two, change of plans. We go through the underground towards the capital. We need to find out who is following us. If they are just players going our way, then we can head towards our Headquarters first. But if they are what I think they are, we deal will them harshly and quickly. Leave only 1 alive for questioning." Leafa was about to tell Kirito that she did not like the idea of killing a fellow player, Kirito looked at her rather harshly, "Do you think they will have the same compassion towards you? Did you already forget about the Salamander's Sylph hunting party?" She could not say a thing, and then it hit her as a ton of bricks. Kirito thinks that salamander's were following them, either as a revenge or as a hunting prey. Romina was not as naive as the young sylph. She knew that if you give the enemy a chance, you would be the one to die. "I will follow your lead, Guild Master. If you think they should die, they will die." Leafa looked at her with a rather shocked look on her face. She was upset for several reasons. Undine were supposed to be the best healers, but this one had no problem in killing, and second the way she talked to Kirito did not sit well with her. She was his sister, and even she did not voice her loyalty towards him so openly. She was tempted in crushing this Undine's interests in her brother, by telling her that he was already married. But she didn't, Leafa was simply no cruel enough to do that.

The smoke had completely blocked the sight of the following familiar, the poor bat was really blind in the smoke, so much so that he did not even notice that he was flying straight towards some rather hungry monster, which of course were very happy to have the salamander familiar fly towards them. They were not about to let go a free meal, specially one that was walking flying towards them. If these monster where unhappy about anything it was the familiar's size, how much could they feed on something so small. The salamander mage was not happy either. He had lost the people he was told to follow, his leader was not going to be happy about that or his sylph pawn.

The salamander leader and the head of their military were in fact brothers, but they were like water and oil. The leader was not above scheming and doing underhanded things to achieve his goals, his brother was a guy who loved fighting, his brother used to joke that if the Alfheim ever achieved world peace, his brother would stop playing out of sheer disappointment. The thing his brother did not understand was the reason why he loved battle. The reason was that he could only really understand people after they crossed swords. He was a warrior first, and player second. He did not like the plan his brother had decided on, the idea of working with a sylph traitor to make money made him feel sick to his very core. But his brother was the leader and he had obey, under protest, but he had to obey. The other alternative was to be named rogue, and leave his soldiers in the hands of a person who would be in competent to lead them. His brother had presented him to his person, and this person was kissing his brother's rear so much that he simply had to comment, "Brother that guy is such a brown nose, I have a hard time picturing where you end and he begins. Why would you consider him to lead the military?" His brother flat out told him, that yes he was the typical yes man. But that also meant that he would obey his plans. Eugene had no choice, he had to obey his brothers plan, or leave his soldiers in the hands of that freak. His honor would have to be stained, but he would keep the honor of his soldiers safe, if he could manage it.

As they landed on the outside of a cave, they figured that they would do something called cycle log out. This would allow them each to log out and eat something, while the other 2 kept watch. Leafa was the very first to log off, Romina was not going to complain. This gave her the perfect chance to get to know Kirito a little better. Kirito would have time to talk to his precious little girl. Yui just wanted him to reach an Inn, being in pixie form made her legs feel numb if she was in that form for too long.

"So Guild Master, why are we really headed towards the capital?" Romina asked Kirito which caught him by surprise. He told Yui to go into his pocket, which she did. "We have several objectives, first to train. If you can manage to survive getting there, then I can train you. If not someone in the guild will. My training tends to be quite harder than anyone else. We are also scouting the World Tree, I have a feeling on why no one has ever managed to complete the grand quest. If we meet some other leaders for the other races, we will try to included them on our alliance. Last but not least, I have someone I need to rescue from atop that tree." Romina could not help but notice the sad look in his eyes as he mentioned that part, she had to ask him who it was? Kirito smiled and looked towards the sky, and with a sigh he answered, "My wife."

Well that pretty much floored her, she could hardly believe it, he was married? where was his wife, and why wasn't she with him? did she abandon him? and why was she on the top of the world tree to begin with? She kept trying to figure it out. Just as she was about to ask she heard Leafa tell Kirito that was his turn. He did log out but not before thanking his sister. "Leafa just why is Kirito's wife not with him, and why is she on top the world tree?" Leafa was not very happy in the way she was received, she just logged back on, and was hit by some rather tough questions to answer. "As far as I know his wife is being held hostage by King Oberon. Most of us want to complete the grand quest to have no limit on our flying. My brother just want to rescue his wife. Somehow she has been in a coma for a really long time, and the only way to awaken her is to save her." Romina was not happy by the answer, "He must really love him." Yui decided to get out of his pocket and participate in this discussion. "Of course, daddy loves mommy. You wouldn't believe how lovey dovey they are with each other." Both Leafa and Romina were shocked to see Yui act on her own. Leafa had to ask her how was she still active when her master was logged off. "He is not my master, he is my daddy. Both he and I really miss my mommy." Romina told Yui that she really must love her daddy. She flew until she was sitting on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "Of course, I do. My daddy is the kindest, most caring daddy that ever was." Both Leafa and Romina had only one way to describe the scene that had just been seen by them, cute. As Kirito logged back on, he told Romina that she was next. She did not wait a second to say thanks and logged off.

Leafa had to ask Kirito more details on how, where and when he met, fell in love and married his wife. Much to her surprise he was more than happy to tell her all about their many adventures, all the details on how they met, the good times, the bad and even the times they had fights between them. It was clear that they were indeed a married couple. They had good times, tough times and even some disagreements. Yui was even willing to mention a few embarrassing situations to the discussion. Like how her daddy nearly fainted when he saw her mommy in a bathing suit for the first time. Kirito face was blushing, as he told his sister that they had never been able to swim in Sword Art Online before, they bought a home with a swimming pool, and so Asuna wanted to cook some food on a grill and swim together as a family. Leafa asked is she was wearing a string bikini, Yui told her no, a one piece. Kirito began to remember how his beloved looked, and could be heard saying, "But with that figure, my dearly beloved wife would look good in a burlap sac." Leafa of course could not believe it, until Yui told her she had a few wedding pictures. As she heard that Leafa could hardly wait to see them. Romina had just logged back on as Yui was about to show her the picture. As Yui projected the picture Kirito saw both Romina and Leafa staring at the image. He really looked happy, and she really looked beautiful. Yui showed them family pictures, and they could see why Kirito would risk anything to get his family back together again. He really looked happy and truly enjoying his life, unlike how he was now most of the time. All business and stoic about everything that had nothing to do with his family. They both agreed that maybe if they managed to rescue his wife, then maybe Kirito would relax and enjoy Alfheim a little more.

As the group walked into the underground passage, he still felt like he was being followed. He tapped his bracelet and asked Cardinal if she would like to have a few bats for a quick meal? Cardinal appeared in her 3 legged crow form and flew away from him. From Kirito's position he took that as a yes. The salamander who was leading the group following Kirito and the others was getting to be rather angry, if not right down pissed. He kept summoning one bat familiar after another, but for some reason they all died as soon as they were close to their target. Cardinal was smiling, she hadn't have a meal like she was in a long time. For some reason those bats really tasted good.

After the group managed to see an underground village surrounded by an underground lake, Kirito saw that someone had attacked them with a long range attack, a fireball spell. From the size and speed he knew that the one who did it was no amateur. He quickly told them to make a run for the village, the village would be safe territory. But as they were getting close someone cast a spell that made a giant wall made of stone appear. Then he heard something the idiot would wish he had never said. "**Stop running and fight us, you frigging cowards!**" Yui could hardly believe the idiot's choice of words. Calling Kirito a coward was as good as signing a dead warrant.

He turned around and rushed them. A group of salamanders knelt down and formed a barrier with their shield, and the groups behind the barrier cast a serious of fireball spells. If it wasn't for Romina and Leafa's quick use of healing magic, he would have died. This really pissed him off, they dare called him a coward and then they hide behind some shields. The salamander mages were about to launch another attack, that was when Yui told them to cast a shield on her daddy. They had no clue as to why, the fireball spells hit the shield and looked like the shield was on fire, "**Now daddy, time to cut lose and let them see a fiend's wrath.**" The salamader's were wondering what they meant by a fiend's wrath.

As Kirito inhaled the fire from the fireball spells, his body began to change. His armor and weapons disappeared and grew to colossal size. He had a pair of horns on his head and a muscular tail. He looked much like his father and brother back in Aincrad. He opened his eyes and they began to glow a frighting crimson color. He rushed the shield users first, they tried to runaway. The one chasing them had scared them witless. "**Don't break formation. It is just an illusion.**" Kirito grabbed one and slammed him on the bridge that was was the only walkway to the underground village. The salamander died and he grabbed another tossed him in the air, and as he came close to his face he bite him in half, and looked like he was devouring them.

The leader did not care if it was an illusion or not, he wanted to get the hell away form that thing. In a matter of seconds he killed everyone except one. "**I am a coward am I?**" Kirito was heard telling the last salamander still alive. As he contemplated crushing his skull. "**No, Kirito, don't kill him. We need to know why they did this.**" Kirito let him go and dropped to the ground landing on his butt. Yui looked at her daddy changing back to normal. He was not the former captain of the royal guard for nothing in Aincrad, Yui could only smile at seeing her daddy still held the pride of the fiends.


	36. Chapter 36

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

As the shivering salamander felt a blade against his throat he head Leafa tell him to say everything that he knew about this attack. The salamander was a male mage, and he did not even bother to tell them a thing, he simply flipped them off. Romina did not take kindly to that gesture. "If you don't tell me, I will have my friends kill you every time you go out of your territory. Make no mistake, I have many friends, and in many races. You will not escape. You will never gain exp again." The young man had to tell her that if his leader found out about it, then he would be called a renegade, and he would never be able to play with anyone ever again.

Kirito laughed, and he smiled as he walked to his guild members. "Is that all? Tell me what you know and you may join the Spriggan Mercenary Guild. By telling me this, you will show that you will be loyal to the guild." The young man told him that he had no reason to believe him. That guild was one of the best guilds there was. How could a strangely dressed spriggan guarantee such a thing. He told him he could be a liar, that wants the information and would lie to get it. "Alright, how about a bet? You tell me the information. If you don't receive the invitation in 20 minutes, I will give you every single col I have, but if it does arrive, you will spy for the guild till I tell you otherwise. Deal?"

The salamander told him his name was Junta, and that they were told that they needed to kill them, because they could interfere with a major plan. He told them that he saw a massive group of salamander's getting ready to fight a major battle. Kirito wrote his name in a form and sent it to him. Junta was practically salivating at the idea of all the free col he was going to receive. But much to his own shock there was the message, the invitation to join the previously mentioned Guild. He of course accepted and as he accepted Kirito told him not to forget to equip his guild gear. Junta did not understand what he meant, until he received the standard welcome message, the rules and a box of gear attached. He looked at the gear and saw that the gear put what he was wearing to shame. He noticed something weird about the guild symbol and as he saw the roster of the current active members he saw Kirito's rank. "How will I be able to spy if they see me in guild gear?" Kirito told him to finish reading the message. In the message he was told to read the description on his breast plate. It said that the guild symbol had the ability to disguise the gear into any race standard color and look. "You will head towards the headquarters and undergo your training after this operation." Yunta stood at attention, "I will send you information if I learn anything new, Guild Master." Yunta left a whole lot happier than he was when his day began.

Leafa suddenly felt like asking Kirito yet again if he did not care that some members were from other races. "I know that might have been seen as a spur of the moment decision, but let's face a few facts. Yunta has a very decent control of his fire magic, and his physical abilities were not that without merit. His fireball spell had some real kick to it, he casted faster than his own leader. and the fact is others would have died when I held his in my grip. He is no weakling, with training in our guild, he will be a fire mage to reckon with." Romina almost wanted to ask what abilities he was told about her. "Well, I was told that you were a very hardworking, focused and able user of both resurrection magic and healing. Since the ones that told me were Thinker and his wife, I don't think my old friends would lie to me." Kirito began to look at his mailbox. He began typing his code to see private messages. As he walked towards the village Leafa was not that happy that he did not mention her skills. She kind of felt sort of left out. He was her brother, maybe he did not think that much of her, and only let her join out of concern. Both Romina and Kirito asked her for how long was she going to stand there. Leafa noticed that she was simply standing there, while she was thinking.

Leafa quickly walked to catched up to them as they entered the village. He got some weird looks from the village guards. He never understood why the female NPCs always reacted differently to him than every one else. As he walked into the village he could have sworn that one of the lady guards was blushing when she was looking at him. He of course was oblivious to the fact that in his monster form they could really see the way his body was, so muscular, and making the armor in his monster for strain of his muscles flexing, the two guards had seen the entire change and they saw something that made them both blush. As Kirito walked into the village one told the other, "Don't you wish you had that in your bed, every night?" The red head looked at her fellow guards and could only touch her face and let out a heavy sigh, "And how." where the last words that she said.

"Daddy I really think we need to get you some better monster gear. I don't think mommy would be very glad seeing other react to how those guards did." Yui told her dad as she stuck her head out of her pocket. "Yui, your mommy knows my heart is only hers, like hers is mine. She trust me to remain faithful, and I trust her the same way. Yui I have told you before, trust is the bases of any good marriage." Both Leafa and Romina could not understand why the mysterious spriggan acted that way with his private pixie. "Kirito, would you mind clarifying one thing for me?" Leafa asked her brother. He walked to a nearby bench and sat down. "Sure you know you can ask anything." Leafa asked him why he treated his private pixie the way he did, and why he had set her up to called him daddy? Kirito simply told her because she was not his private pixie, but his precious baby girl, his one and only daughter. Yui was blushing several shades of red as she heard her daddy say that. Romina asked him if he used illusion magic and how he knew how to change into that monster? Kirito took out a small crystal tapped it and threw it into the air, and it activated. "Ok, Privacy Seal active. I did not use any spell. What I am going to tell you must be a secret you take to your grave. Can I trust you to never betray me and reveal this information?" Both Leafa and Romina swore that they would not say anything. "Ok, Yui and Cardinal change." Yui and Cardinal took on their original forms. "This is Yui. I was married in Aincrad to my late first wife. We both conceived and had my precious little girl, Yui. Cardinal is my all knowing and caring friend from Aincrad. Why did I look like a monster? That is simple, because I was a titled fiend in Aincrad, I was the Crimson Eyes Fiend. Captain of the Red Kings royal guard. My wife Asuna is being held captive by the supposed fairy king. Now I need to check my information reports to see if Recon found anything out."

As the privacy seal deactivated, they could hardly believe what they heard. They both had heard stories from friends that had been trapped in Aincrad. Romina even told Leafa that there was no one monster tougher than the fiends and fiends with titles could take on 50 players on their own. If she felt that Kirito was strong before, now she understood that Kirito had been holding back.

As Kirito read the reports Recon did see something unusual. Leafa's former leader Sigurd had been sneaking around having secret meetings with several lady salamanders. The members of his inner circle would always tell anyone that asked, that their leader was a chick magnet. But Recon did not believe a word of it, he treated women as if they were his playthings, and his arrogant and selfish ways would never attract anyone to him. Thanks to his guild gear, he was able to blend in and hide in plain sight. He found out what was really going on about. He found that the traitor was working with the salamander leader Mortimer to cause the death of the leaders of the Caith Sith, and the Sylph. They were supposed to have a secret meeting to form an alliance. If both leader's died then the salamanders would be able to take over the territories, and brutally abused them to make as much col as they wanted, for a limited time.

This was not good, he needed to call both Thinker and Agil to tell them the news. If they both sent enough forces they could be force the salamander's to leave the Caith Sith and Sylph alone. But he knew that Thinker would tell him that he was better than most of his own warriors, and Agil would not move against the salamander's without both clear proof, and a justifiable cause. Most his own guild was training, and those that weren't they were in deep undercover missions. There was no alternative he had to tell Leafa and Romina what was going on. If they did not feel like taking the risk he would go alone, but it would be better if they did accompany him if anything for moral support.

"Look, I just found out that the salamander's will attack the alliance meeting between the Sylph and Caith Sith. If we leave now, and fly at top speed we should be there in 30 minutes, this is a highly risky mission, and if you do not want face the risk of the death penalty. I understand. You two are without proper training. But I need to know are you coming or going to headquarters?" Romina just stood up and told him. "Of course we are going, why are we wasting time. Let's go. I can heal the wounded and Leafa can help me with minor injury cases." The group decided to fly through a heavily monster populated area, they each managed to grow at least 6 levels by the time they left the underground cave exit.

As they flew Leafa asked him, "Why don't you work with the salamanders?" Kirito did not even look back. "Many are player killers. I don't think they would be able to work well with others. They obey their leader out of fear, they are not loyal." Leafa understood what he meant. It was bad enough to have to fight against really powerful monsters, but to have to watch their backs for possible traitors really made a situation hard to work together. Kirito ask Yui if they were going to reach in time. She told him, "No, daddy they will reach the Sylph and Caith Sith delegates 10 minutes before we get there."

He knew if anything Eugene would be there. Mortimer would not trust a mission this important on anyone else. He was going to have a serious hard time convincing Eugene that he was an ambassador, with his gear looking like it did, and with so little in the form of escorts. But he knew that if Eugene did not believe his words, he would be made to believe him, with the use of force. He just hoped to arrive to save the two leaders. Maybe he could manage an alliance and add them to the alliance between the Undine and Sylph. 4 Races working together would make raiding the world tree happen a lot sooner. He needed to raid that tree as soon as possible. The sheer fear of his beloved Asuna's suffering would not allow him to waste a single second. He could enjoy the game when he was with his beloved wife, but for now her rescue was priority one.


	37. Chapter 37

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

As luck would have it, there was a massive gust of wind and they managed to cut their distance by a quite a bit, well it what Kirito, Leafa and Romina believed, but the truth was that Cardinal finished updating the copy of herself in Alfheim, and as a thank you that copy made a gust of wind to thank her and her friends. I guess it pays off to have friends in high places, then again you sometimes get help from the most unexpected places.

The real reason that the attack was taking longer is that one of the field commanders was late. Eugene was seriously considering demoting the slacker. As Kirito flew closer he saw a figure that sort of look familiar, surrounded by at least 50 salamanders no less. "Hey, Klein what are you doing here?" Klein looked at him and smiled, "Territory invasion, but somehow I am late. What about you?" Kirito began to laugh, "Same old Klein. Different game, same slacker attitude. I am stopping that invasion as a matter of fact. I am on my way to finalize an alliance with 2 other races." Klein too laughed, "You know this is a game, why do you have to always be an overachiever in an VRMMO?" Klein could see that he was faking all his laughter, "Asuna is being held hostage by the Admin in this game. She and 300 other players never woke up from SAO." Klein could really kick himself for saying that. "Look, let me help you out. We could try and reason with Eugene, but knowing him, he is as much a battle freak as you are. So I make you a bet, if you manage to defeat him, I will join your guild. I know my guys will want to join too. That will put a hold on Mortimer and his invasion plans."

As they began to see the number of salamanders, Kirito decided to use his maximum speed. To Leafa and Romina it looked like he almost disappeared. Just as Eugene was about to give the order to attack, he landed hard between him and the Sylph and Caith Sith. Alice was pretty surprised when she saw him land, Sakuya not so much. "Nice to see you again, Kirito." Sakuya told him. Without even looking back he told her it was nice to see her too, but right now he needed to deal with a big red problem. "Hey, where is your commander? tell him to come and meet me immediately!" The salamander decided to tell him that he had no authority to order him around. Kirito took one of his swords out, and he looked pissed. "Listen you pathetic maggot, when I tell you something you do it! Think about that when you suffer the death penalty!" He rose his sword ready to attack, but he was interrupted. "There is no need for that, I am here. I have to say you have some guts threatening one my subordinates." Eugene told Kirito all the while smiling. Finally a player with guts, Eugene began to think, I will get a decent fight at long last. "I am Kirito ambassador for the Spriggan-Undine alliance. I am here to complete the alliance with both the Sylph and Caith Sith. If you attack them I assure you, you will have 4 races attack yours, and they will be more than happy to use your territory as a col farm."

Eugene began to consider the ramifications of what he told him, it was true that they would never win against such a force, but something in him did not allow him to trust Kirito. "You are an ambassador but you have no bodyguards and are wearing some of the crappiest looking gear I have ever seen. Why don't we let our skills do the talking?" Kirito was not one to mince words. he agreed and took a battle stance.

As Leafa and Romina landed near Sakuya, she was happy to greet her. "He does know that Eugene is the best swordsman in Alfheim doesn't he?" Sakuya asked Leafa, to which she told her that maybe he was more confident about her brother beating Eugene into the ground. As the fight began Eugene saw him guard and he was happy to have his sword, his sword would pass right through it and kill him in one blow, or so he believed, but as soon as it passed it clashed with a second sword. What the hell, there was no dual swords skills in Alfheim, what in the world is he up to. The fight end on for 30 minutes and each other was evenly matched. But then he decided to use a smoke screen spell. The Sylph and Caith Sith flat out said that he ran away. Leafa told the one who said that he was a coward, that her brother would never do something like that.

As Eugene looked for his opponent he saw him flying straight to him but he could not focus, Kirito was using the sun to blind him. The thing that no one ever considered happened as he reached Eugene and he called a skill that made most salamanders freeze with fear. "**Starburst Stream!**" That was an SAO skill used by the conquerer of Aincrad, if he was the same Kirito then Eugene was not going to win. They never figured that Kirito could do the skill without it being programmed into Alfheim Online. He knew the motions and the pattern so well that he could do the skill without OS assistance. After a 70 hit combo Eugene was sent flying into a nearby tree and he fell and was defeated as his body touched the ground. **  
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"Amazing, that fight was simply amazing!" Sakuya began to say over and over again. The other delegates looked really happy. Nobody likes the death penalty after all. Romina simply walked over to where the remain light was, and used her resurrection magic. Eugene appeared and looked as Kirito landed. "So do you believe me now? or do you want me to prove it again with these blades of mine?" Eugene began to think about it, when Klein called for permission to speak freely. He of course was given permission. "Sir, this is Kirito, trust me when I say you will be the most respected level 1 player if you continue fighting him. He is not lying, I think he was holding back in that fight. Being married for so long, made you a softy!" Klein punched Kirito on the shoulder. "You tell me that when you find someone to marry!" Klein complained that Kirito was being cruel with him. "So, that was a skill of SAO, what guild and what rank where you there?" Kirito smiled, "I was the Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Why would it matter here in Alfheim. Here I am just a the head of the Spriggan Mercenary Guild." When he heard that Eugene was so shocked that he looked like he was about to drop him sword. "So that why. I see I have no other choice but to accept what you said as truth. It was never our intent to wage war on the Sylph-Undine alliance. If the Sylph and Caith Sith join, then I might be able to convince my brother to try and negotiate the salamander's be able to join too. We just need a way to make enough col to raid the world tree. It was never personal, it was just business." Kirito understood where he was coming from. "I am planning to raid the world tree pretty soon, why don't you join the alliance forces even if your brother decides not to join?" Eugene really like the guts on this guy. "Sure thing, me and my friends will join in that raid. But Klein and his slackers are getting a demotion to civilians." Kirito laughed and simply told him that they would simply join his guild, after a good boot camp, that should fix their slacking problem once and for all. Eugene laughed and shock his hand, "Well I need to go, but be sure to send me a message when that raid happens." Kirito simply told him that he would and every salamander was surprised to see the smile on Eugene's face as they all flew away from the Sylph and Caith Sith delegates.

Kirito told him everything he had learned about the attempted act of treason. Leafa after what she heard she could not believe that Sigurd would do something so callous and disloyal. She made a few excuses from everything from being blamed for something he would not do, to how could they mistrust such a long friend. When Kirito heard the friend excuse he put a stop to it. He looked at her with a real cold look in his eyes, "That bastard doesn't have friends, he had disposable tools, pawns. If it was for his benefit he would kill every single sylph. More than likely there was a benefit for him in this attack." Sakuya felt the anger that Kirito felt, she too did not forgive treason as quickly as others. A leader can not show weakness, or allow themselves to be blinded against the evidence just for mere misplaced trust. "I think the reason was due to the new update that is coming soon, it has a reincarnate system. Sigurd was not to happy that we were losing rank in terms of military and economic power." Kirito looked even more pissed when he heard that. "So basically Mortimer promised him to allow him to be a salamander if he brought to him the head of his current leader on a silver platter? What an absolutely stupid thing to believe. Mortimer was never going to go through with his deal, he would never welcome a traitor to his race, he could betray him when it was convenient for him after all. You betray one leader, betraying another won't be as difficult." Sakuya and Alice both agreed that to be true. Leafa had never seen Kirito look so angry, Romina was looking at him with even more respect, Yui was seated on her daddy's shoulder offering whatever emotional support she could.

"How do you think we should handle the traitor?" Sakuya asked Kirito. "Expose him by publishing an entire article on his betrayal, and exile him from the Sylph at the same time the article would be out for public consumption. I would place a heavy fine on those that try to get the exile revoked. In the exile if I could I would strip him of everything he ever earned while being a sylph. Use that to do some help for newbies, say a newbie class besides the tutorial from the game." Romina knew that this way everyone would know what kind of a slime ball Sigurd really was, and prevent other from being tricked by him. The money would help new players out and made the sylph much stronger. Leafa wanted to say that the exile would be enough, but Kirito reminded her that treason must have heavy consequences to prevent it from happening again. Yui knew that her daddy would not punish lightly such an act, he might be a fiend but even fiends did not behave like Sigurd did.

Alice walked closer to him and smiled, it almost made Kirito look nervious. "So tell me handsome, how much do we owe you for the rescue? and who are you exactly?" Kirito looked at her and smiled, "Me, I am Kirito your friendly neighborhood mercenary. If both Sylph and Caith Sith join the alliance with us Spriggans and Undine I would be more than consider myself rewarded." Alice began to laugh, "Oh, I like the confident type, tell me handsome why don't you become a mercenary for the Caith Sith, you get a room, 3 meals, and a snack." She pressed her body close to him. "Kirito, why don't you join me for a drink? I know a lovely little pub in Swilvane, my treat." Alice did not like her pressing her breast against Kirito. "Ah, Sakuya you are totally seducing him with those big things, give a girl a chance." Alice complained as she pointed at her breasts. Sakuya simply smiled in a really seductive smile, "In love and war anything goes." Sakuya told all who would listen. Yui was about to say something, when Leafa stepped in. "Well I have some bad news for you. My brother is happily married and my niece doesn't look that happy from what I can see. She probably would rip open a can of whoop ass, if she could." Both leaders looked not to happy to hear that he was already spoken for.

They both did decide to join the alliance and he gave them a copy of his training schedule and method, they both saw how useful it would be, and not to mention effective. As the leaders and their members left Yui told him, "I told you no more flirting daddy!" Kirito told her that he was not flirting with anyone. She told him that she could hear his heart rate increase, and so did Cardinal. "I am a guy, when a girl gets so close and their that attractive it's an instinctual response." Leafa asked if she was a problem. Yui simply smiled, and answered, "Oh, don't worry Auntie I know that you care about daddy it's not like you are in love with him." Romina did not like to be left out of this conversation and flat out said that she would not be against the idea of being his mistress. This shocked everyone present, including cardinal. They all decided to continue their trip towards the capital and continue the training of both Leafa and Romina.


	38. Chapter 38

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

The training trip continued and Kirito was indeed a very efficent trainer, but if you asked Leafa and Romina they would tell you that he was and that after his training they would never fear any monsters again, since they would fear having to retrain with him a whole lot more.

In the trip they both gained at least 15 levels and were now comfortable in the way they fought. Leafa was happy with long range magic attacks and single sword skills, Romina was more into 2 handed staff skills and healing magic. Kirito was surprised at her choice of new weapon and she told him that their aren't many staff users in Alfheim, so it was pretty rare to be able to buy a staff of good quality, the guild allowed the members to send an equipment request once a month, so she ask the crafting players in the guild to make her one.

Leafa was caught by surprise by one monster and Romina managed to kill the monster and heal her in a single moment. She told her that there was no real reason her hands couldn't do something while casting a spell.

On the world tree Asuna was living her definition of a living hell. Sugao simply would not get an idea into that empty coconut she called his head. She told him time and time again that she did not want to marry him, sleep with him, or even be close to him. She told him she was already married to a wonderful guy and that she would never cheat on him. Being the game administrator he made sure to have a recording of Kirito visiting her at the hospital where she was, and would often tell her that if her husband really loved her, then why didn't he strap his nervegear and tried to save her? He flat out called him a cowardly pathetic little boy. "Look, Titania I can make you a lot happier than that pathetic little brat, so why don't you agree to my deal? A simple divorce and we can get married. You get a much better husband and I get you." Asuna looked really pissed as she hear him say that, "Bullshit, you just want to marry me because of my daddy's company and money! I am happily married and Kirito will come and save me! But after I tell him what you called him, who will save you from him? He can be a terrible fiend to his enemies after all." Sugao was not happy to hear that, he had to perfect his brainwashing research before Kirito managed to get close to the world tree.

As for the Alliance, Mortimer flat out told him that he did not need anyone other than his salamanders to conquer the world tree. He was going to be the one to bring his race the ability to fly without a time limit. Eugene was not happy about it, but since his brother was the leader he would have to wait till the next elections to be able to try and become leader. But that would mean a lot of wasted time, and he hated wasting time. The Alliance had shown him what the 4 races could do working together, the Alliance had made each race stronger and with the col they managed to generate better equipped. Kirito's training methods were something he too wished the salamanders would have too. But no Mortimer did not want to listen to reason, and it was for a childish reason at that. Mortimer was not happy that a single Spriggan managed to ruin his plan to take over 2 territories. He secretly hoped to be able to fight Kirito one day and show him what happens to brats that meddle in his plans. Eugene having fought the man could only advice his brother to pray that day never came.

As they reached the capital and the town at the foot of the world tree, they each had a different reaction. Romina was happy since she needed to restock on potions and Leafa was just amazed how the town looked at night. Kirito began to wonder where the training trip became a school field trip? "Seeing as you two managed to get here, I will consider that a valid performance, and call this your training. I will pay for the inn, and we will see how far the alliance has gotten. If things progressed as I think we raid the world tree tomorrow." Leafa and Romina were shocked to hear that he was already thinking about it, when Leafa asked why the hurry, he simply looked up into the sky and told her, "My beloved wife is up there and is being held against her will. I must rescue her no matter what I must endure. My life without her, It simply would not be worth it."

Romina could swear she saw tears on his face, Leafa never knew that he loved Asuna that much. Kirito did pay for a stay at an inn, an extremely cheap inn, but at least it had the basic necesities. Romina wanted a single room, and Leafa did not care either way, but Kirito did not want to even consider it. Yui helped by telling them her daddy snored like a grizzly with a head cold. It was a lie, but at least it helped her daddy. He did not snore like a bear, it was more like a full grown dragon.

As Kirito wrote Agil his message and waited to get a replay he tapped his bracelet and Cardinal appeared on his shoulder. "Cardinal do you mind telling me why no one has managed to complete the grand quest yet?" Cardinal looked at him and told him she too was wondering that, until she met with the Alfheim copy of herself. That Cardinal had told her it was all due to changes the game's administrator did. He basically made it impossible to get into the world tree by placing an incredibly long and hard password on the door. To Kirito it did not make any sense, why promise them one thing and never deliver. Cardinal just told him that she was under the impression that this administrator was using the game for some purpose other than making a profit for the game company or providing a fun game for the players. It was an illusionary prison, and everyone was a prisoner, and he was using them for some unknown purpose. Kirito asked her if she knew the password, and she told him that of course she knew it. It was the first 20 digits in the game code after all.

As the reply was received and he was surprised that the alliance would send their very best, ready for war as the message read, and they would do all they can to help Kirito rescue his beloved from her bird cage prison. The self styled king of Alfheim was not having a good day, first his supposed pawn flat out rejected him, how dare that brat disagree with a man of his caliber, then reading the log in list he found that Kirito was not only in Alfheim but was a Guild Master of the most respected guild in all of Alfheim. "That worthless brat is sure to come and try and steal my golden goose. Well he will never make it to where she is, there is no way for him to gain entry to the world tree, even if he does defeat the guardian NPC. Asuna is my stepping stone to godhood, and no little worthless bug is going to stand in my way." Sugao was heard laughing like an absolute maniac till the moment he logged out. His own personal staff were beginning to wonder one question and one finally spoke it as he was logged off. "How much longer must we work for his maniac? I signed up to provide a healthy means for people to enjoy themselves, not the thing he turned this place into." Several of the staff agreed, but Sugao had all the evidence of his wrong doings locked and they could not get it. They had to continue to wait and wish that the freak would get his in the end.

The time had finally come, the time to rescue his beloved had come at long last. 200 Sylph, Caith Sith, Spriggan, Undine and Salamders stood at the ready, and every single member of his own guild. Some people wondered why such a lage gathering of players had come together. Eugene and the leaders of the other races where ready to hear the order to start their raid. Kirito stood in front of everyone and he saw some familiar faces among the players. "Thank you for coming to my aid, I know many are here to raid the world tree, and there is nothing wrong with that, but if we succeed we will remove the person who prevented the grand quest from being completed. If it's only for your wish to fly without the time limit. I ask you, no I beg you to please put your all in this fight. There is a thief up there pretending to be king. Help me rescue the love of my life, and the light of my soul. In doing so you will help yourselves to be free from the abuse of that thief up there. **Now my fellow warriors lets show that bastard that we matter and we will not stand and let him use us as his puppets**."

As d Kirito walked to the door and he accepted the quest he knew that this battle was going to be fierce, the thief would do no less to protect his stolen throne. As the door opened the massive gathering of warrior rushed in to fight. If the guardians could show emotion, the sheer shock on their faces would be that clear to see. They had never expected that different races would work together and so well too. The alliance managed to defeat the guardians as quickly as they appeared. Kirito was leading the charge and he was killing guardians by the hundreds. When Eugene saw how Kirito was fighting he was surprised and unhappy. He had been holding back on their fight, next time they met he would demand another duel. Sakuya, Leafa, Romina, Alice and even Yulier all saw the determination on his face, and they all believed that his wife was the luckiest woman alive. At the last push he used his fiend's fire and charged towards the door, and burned every remaining guardian to ash. He slammed both his swords into the door, and he told Cardinal to open it. Cardinal was more than happy to do so, Kayaba her creator and father would not be happy as to how his dream had been abused, and neither was she. Little did Kirito know that his old friend Heathcliff was following him, and was waiting to see the thief king punished for his crimes.


	39. Chapter 39

I do not own sword art online anime, manga or other released works

There was very little Sugou was able to do to stop a rampaging fiend from getting to where Asuna was, the sheer strength alone was enough to break most barriers and people where sacred and ran away as he ran past them towards the bird cage Asuna was kept in. There were a few exception a few staff members opened several barriers and let him go right through, why would they stop him, his face was of a worried and frantic husband looking for his bride, they were married and knew that they would pretty much act the same. Sugou had told his staff nothing but a pack of lies, that Kirito was just using Asuna for his financial betterment, that he was a cruel, heartless, and greedy bastard that lied about their supposed marriage. The way he acted spoke of a different person from what their boss had told them. Most of the staff kept an eye on Kirito since he arrived hoping to catch him doing something wrong, and proving to Asuna that he was the villain and not their boss. But his honorable, kind, and loyal actions began to erode the lies Sugou managed to tell them. They could not allow Asuna out without risking Sugou taking revenge on their families, but they would try and help Kirito in any way they could. These were the staff members that opened the way towards the bird cage prison.

Kirito was making his way what looked like to be a maze, and he never even figured that there was a map conveniently posted at every hall. His frantic mind could only think of Asuna, and what the bastard was doing to her. He began to swear that if he hurt his wife, the bastard would get the same pain a thousand times worse. Some of the staff were actually big fans of Kirito and his Guild, but they new better than getting in his way, "That is the look of a man on a serious mission. There is no way I am standing in his way, let alone to help that ungrateful bastard Sugou." A young lady told him. "Why so angry?" her fellow staff member asked, "The ungrateful bastard was dating me just a few days ago, and he still plans to still the wife of the guy who just passed us by." The guy silently hoped that man gets a serious beating, he had planned to asked his fellow staff member out, but Sugou threaten to blame him for a false crime he was going to invent.

Asuna was not sure what was happening but there was an extreme amount of noise nearby, and she was not sure why but it felt like the place was under attack. Asuna was sad before because Sugou had lie to her about Kirito. He flat out told her that Kirito was so weak, and frail after what happened in Aincrad that he never recovered completely and simply the day before he told him he died from heart failure in his bed. The time she spent crying and telling Sugou to go an bother someone else felt like an eternity. Sugou had even told her, "Asuna, you are legally a widow, why spend crying over that worthless piece of garbage? You can marry me and I will make all your sadness and tears go away." Asuna turned off the water works as Sugou called it for one second. The very second she looked up Sugou saw one of the most angry ladies in all of Alfheim. It was so bad that he was trying no to show it, but it scared him so bad that you could hear his knees shacking. "**Listen to me, you dishonorable, worthless, cowardly, and stupid bastard. If I was out of this cage and had a sword, no a kitchen knife, sword would be too good for a cockroach like you. I would cut off that putrid thing your call your manhood and shove it straight down your throat till you choke. Now do me a favor and go romance a pack of rats, I don't want to see you again, ever! **" Sugou did not show up to her cage ever since, except today, and today he looked even more scared that when Asuna screamed at him.

He was trying frantically to open the cage door to go inside and use her as a meat shield, the one that was hot on his heels was not someone he wanted to meet, not now or ever. This was an extremely pissed of Kirito, and he would consider the thing he saw do monsters a loving tap on their back, compared what he expected to receive from him. Asuna was not wasting her time and was more than able to rewire the pad on her cage to stop him from opening the cage door. She could not open it, but at the very least he could not do so either.

That is when it happened, the door that lead to the path to her cage showed many cracks and finally it crumbled into pieces. There he was the man of her life, her husband and father to her precious daughter Yui. He saw Sugou trying to still open the cage door, and so Kirito ran towards him and with an incredible impression of a football player he kicked Sugou so very hard that he was send flying right against the metal grate that was the cage door, and it came off it's hinges. Sugou was lying on the floor, complaining on his pain. Kirito did not care one bit, he simply walked toward Asuna, and did not care that he was actually stepping on Sugou. He even wiped his shoes on him treating him like he was a welcome mat. "Kirito, on my beloved Kirito, you are alive, I am so glad to see you. Our baby girl is alright? Tell me Yui is Ok? Are you also healthy after Aincrad." The ghost of Heathcliff showed up, "Come one Asuna, my captain of the guard is nowhere as weak as to let a little thing like that keep him down, your family is fine. Now Kirito, my old friend use this, and make that bastard pay. I will be watching." Then Heathcliff disappeared.

As Sugou got off the ground with a few clear boot prints on his back. "**You dare use me, the god of this world as a mere rug. Who in the hell do you think you are you worthless brat!**" Kirito kissed his beloved wife, and Yui still in her pixie form got out of his pocket and landed on her mommy's shoulder. It appears that his daughter had quite a bit of gossip to tell her mommy. Just as Sugou was about to activate his built in gravity spell. Kirito did the thing he was not expecting. "**System Login ID Heathcliff. Administrator Privileges set Oberon to level 1.**" Oberon got a message on his change of status. He frantacly tried to activate the gravity spell, but nothing happened. He was an absolute moron, he believed that having the strongest sword would mean he would always win, a sword without the skills to use it, was as good as a fly swatter against a trained Doberman. "**System Command Generate Item ID Excaliber.**" Nothing happened, "**System obey my command, you worthless piece of shit, I am your king, your god!**" Kirito laughed at him and smiled a rather vicious smile, "You are nothing more than a thief, nothing more than a King of thieves seating on a stolen throne in the world you stole and ruling over the people you stole. You want a duel, then I will be more than happy to allow it." Kirito put his sword and stabbed the ground so it stood there. "**System Command Generate Item ID Excaliber.**" He picked the sword and marveled at the irony, one command he could have the world's strongest blade. He tossed it to Sugou who barely caught it. He could hardly lift it, it was simply that heavy. He kicked his sword and he caught the only sword he had placed down, the other one was on his back and on his shoulder was a black bird with 3 legs. Kirito was not done. "**Lets make this a little interesting. System Command Set Pain Absorber to level 0**" Now Sugou was afraid, he knew that the level he set the pain absorber to would affect his body in the real world. As Sugou still believed that having the strongest sword would guarantee his victory he attacked Kirito, he blocked each attack as if it was nothing. Finally in one of his block he scratched one side of his face and drew some blood. Sugou having not fought a day in his life, and not having to fight for his life, cried and sobbed as if he was a little girl who had her favorite doll stolen. "It hurts doesn't it? Well you pathetic display makes you that much of a coward, at the very least Kayaba never was a coward like you."

That finally made him realize who that ID belong to. It belong to Kayaba Akihiko. "**Of course it had to be Kayaba, not even in death you will stop getting in the way from what I really want. You always did that, you took everything I wanted, you never showed me respect, why can't you leave me alone now that you are dead, you should be feeding worms not bothering me!**" Kirito simply looked at him and told him, "I know where you are coming from, I too lost to Kayaba, I even worked for him for a long time. But I was able to accept my lose and able to be man enough to accept that I needed to grow stronger. Eventually he became my good friend. I might know him, but unlike you. I never tried to be him." Sugou was not one to be happy when they told him his truths. He attacked Kirito and Kirito cut he hand that had been holding Excaliber. The hand still holding the sword was cut clean off. As the sword fell to the ground he launched a single cleaving sword attack and cut him clean in half, and he picked up the upper half and threw it into the air, as if throwing away a piece of garbage and it fell directly in the path of the hand still holding the Excaliber. The sword when right through his head as he was falling screaming and it went in his open mouth. You could say Kirito killed him, but you could also say that it was suicide, since he died by his own sword while he was technically still holding it.

He managed to log off all the prisoner characters that Sugou took from the SAO server, and managed to erase all the information about the mind control project he had been making, or at least he tried, Cardinal told him that the logs and research would be useful as evidence later on. Kirito understood what Cardinal meant. As he logged Asuna off and gave her a kiss. He found himself alone in the cage. "Kirito, I must say I rather enjoyed seeing that. Kirito as a thank you gift, take this seed, it is the seed of the world tree, with it you or other could create worlds like this one." Kirito accepted it, "Heathcliff after everything that has happened I don't think this genre will survive." Kayaba smiled and he knew Kirito was more than likely right. "Then do me one last favor, save this world and all the ones to come. Assume your rightful place as king of his world of fairies, and fix the damage that fool has caused. I will be forever Heathcliff, the Crimson Guardian of these worlds. Use my ID whenever you wish to talk. You know my door is always opened, my loyal captain of the guard, and my most trusted friend." Kayaba disappeared

It turned out that when Sugou felt the pain of the sword going through his head, he actually had a heart attack and died. Thanks to Sugou's staff, the logs and the research all the blame was placed solely on Sugou. Kirito became a spokesperson for VRMMO safety, and the game administrator for ALO. He managed to make the grand quest be completed, and he turned it into a true teamwork based mission. He also made it that only the participants would have their flight time be unlimited, they kept their race and so the barrier that prevented the races from working together was gone for good, and everyone in Alfheim was much happier for it.

Agil managed to distribute the seed to every person who wanted to start a new VRMMORPG, and in the spam of 2 years there were dozens of games running, from private people to compamies, Kirito managed to set an automatic log off to the games, the game would automatically log off a player after 8 hours of playing. He also made it so that the infamous brain frying sequence would never activate. Asuna and Kirito with a lot of work and help from her father's company they managed to create the first fully anatomically correct biodroid. This allowed Kirito to finally welcome their first child, Yui into their home. Asuna became a computer systems engineer much like her husband. Asuna's father retired and she and her husband took the reins of leadership in the company. During the Reign of his royal majesty King Kirito the first, Alfheim went into want some would call a golden age. Who would ever believe that someone who was once called a fiend in the battlefield, became such a beloved ruler later in his life. He would argue that his wife was more monstrous than he ever was, he joked that after having 8 children and she still had such a lovely figure. Life had been pain, heartache, frustration and joy. He knew that since he was first locked in Aincrad till now he lived by the principals taught to him by his fiend parents. He later found a way to recreate the flying castle and he was able to introduce his children to their grandparents, who were the happiest fiends anyone had ever seen.


End file.
